MOE Relooking P1 registration - Too much priority to alumni

[Nebbermind]

Tokidoki:

Would like to add that it's a misconcept that staying nearby to the school mean that your child dun have to wake up early. For those taking school bus, it's subjected to the bus route. Unless you can personally send/fetch your child to school, else the child who stay nearby the school and takes school bus may need to wake up even earlier than one who stay > 2km away.

True...NYPS is abt 5km away but school bus used to come around 6.05~6.10am!

[limlim]

castanst:

Agree.. ! check out the price difference btween a 3 rm hdb in CCK and farrer Rd !!
isnt it sad?? if the whole system is about $$$$$..

interesting.. but I searched but no record of 3rm in farrer rd leh.. are you referring to farrer pk rd? The price is shocking indeed.....

This is a valid concern.. but I'm not sure if MOE shd be looking at this issue..... I guess.. such side effect maybe inevitable lor.. Maybe, if all the <1km also need to ballot, then, will it still carry such a high price premium..? not reasonable right.. you paid COV of $100k and still need to ballot and may not get a place.... will pple really pay that premium price..?

In any case, part of the reason of sky high HDB price is also due to rich PRs buying those flats.. now that SC have priority.. maybe the situation will not be so bad..? as the PRs lose motivation to get a near near place..

Kallang/Whampoa \t12 \t21 to 25 \t62.00
Model A \t2004 \t$502,000.00 \tMar 2012
Kallang/Whampoa \t15 \t16 to 20 \t62.00
Model A \t2004 \t$461,888.00 \tFeb 2012
Kallang/Whampoa \t15 \t01 to 05 \t62.00
Model A \t2004 \t$425,000.00 \tNov 2011
Kallang/Whampoa \t12 \t06 to 10 \t62.00
Model A \t2004 \t$462,000.00 \tOct 2011


16 \t Teck Whye Lane \t11 to 15 \t67.00
New Generation \t1979 \t$320,000.00 \tMar 2012
10 \t Teck Whye Ave \t01 to 05 \t67.00
New Generation \t1978 \t$302,000.00 \tFeb 2012
26 \t Teck Whye Lane \t06 to 10 \t74.00
New Generation \t1979 \t$318,000.00 \tFeb 2012
110 \t Teck Whye Lane \t06 to 10 \t73.00
Model A \t1989 \t$345,000.00 \tFeb 2012

But farrer pk rd flat is like 15 years newer.....

[dorisp]

beanstalk:

The present system has checks to encourage diversity in a school and that's a good thing in the national interest. I guess with the caps, each group thinks it should have a bigger piece of the pie than they currently have. That includes you and me. I believe we both have valid concerns.

The current system whereby alumni (near and far) was given P2A priority unconditionally without any cap on number and regardless of home distance started in 1998 (correct me if I am wrong). I learnt about the year when it started from another forumer from an earlier posts.

An important point to note is that the same system also placed important emphasis on home school distance and this distance be used to award places should demand exceed supply. The home school distance aka travel time is an acceptable fact affecting the welfare of the child at that tender age.

As mentioned, most of us here, including policy makers during the then 1998 agreed that alumni should be given priority over others and the system has served us well till recent years.

This is year 2012 and so much has changed since 1998. In recent years, take up rate at P2A gets higher and higher and one of the biggest contributor to this could be more and more P2A staying >2km taking advantage of this system at the expense of those non alumni staying <1km.

It will only be healthy and fair for policy makers to check the policy once in a while. If the number of P2A is not growing at an alarming rate causing P2B and P2C to become smaller and smaller, or that policy maker is comfortable with the fact that P2B and P2C gets smaller and smaller, and policy maker is convinced that the system still \"....has checks to encourage diversity in a school and that's a good thing in the national interest.\", then be it.

But if facts and the numbers proves otherwise, then it may well be worth it for policy makers to revisit the system to ascertain if it still serves it original well intended purpose in the national interest.

[wayne lai]

that's great to hear.


Surely, non-alumni parents are also susceptible to this infection - but many don't because their places have been deprived by inactive alumni who are probably immune!

Nebbermind:

limlim:

that's a valid point for consideration.....

for this.. the alumni will have to be active member right.. clearly this benefits the school and the child.. then the focus will shift to \"active alumni\".....

For some of the people I know, the payback time happened when the children are back in their alma mater and there's a renewal of the school spirit in them. And sometimes this spirit even infect the spouses!!

Juz sharing...

[limlim]

absolut_vodka:

Ur child stays there because u worked hard and earned the money to afford a property there. So as far as I can see, it's the same..

it makes a difference when we're debating on the basis for the priority....

focus on welfare of the child (from a school's viewpoint), or connections..

[limlim]

Tokidoki:

Would like to add that it's a misconcept that staying nearby to the school mean that your child dun have to wake up early. For those taking school bus, it's subjected to the bus route. Unless you can personally send/fetch your child to school, else the child who stay nearby the school and takes school bus may need to wake up even earlier than one who stay > 2km away.

true.. but walking is always a viable alternative.. at least on most days..

Maybe P1~P2 not ok but P3 onwards some kids can go to sch themselves.

Primary school is 6 years.. at upper primary, the kids can be trained to be more independent..

of coz, the appetite for child independence varies..

My Kid in P2 now trained to one person take SBS bus to school. This is personal example.. May not be applicable to other kids.. (isolated case)

Another parent her boy from P1 can take SBS bus himself to school. (isolated case)

Let's look at the average not rich Singaporean family.. Say, school bus is $60/mth, it works out to $720/year, with 2 months and 2 weeks not using the service at all.. and they may still need to walk or take public transports to sch for CCAs during holidays or sch terms.

If they stay near, they can enjoy the convenience when sending/fetching their kids from extra classes/CCAs, or save a handsome sum of money by not taking sch bus.

[castanst]

just Out of curiosity …

parents who complain that they couldnt get into the school next door…

Is it really that there is only 1 school within 1KM ?

i live in tampines and there are 3 schools within 1KM just tat one is more popular then the other 2.

[limlim]

castanst:

i live in tampines and there are 3 schools within 1KM just tat one is more popular then the other 2.

wow you muz be spolit for choices.. :evil: :evil:

[castanst]

limlim:

castanst:

i live in tampines and there are 3 schools within 1KM just tat one is more popular then the other 2.

wow you muz be spolit for choices.. :evil: :evil:

Ya tats y i have no complain abt the current system .. coz i know.. if i chose to try the more popular school .. i hv to take the risk of not getting a seat.

[absolut_vodka]

Preciely my point lor. If the school is not good/popular, then there's really no issue whether one has connections or not or whether one can afford to buy a property nearby mah. Now it's just sour grapes...


U want to talk about welfare? Welfare for my child is putting him/her in the best possible environment to thrive and that would include having the best resources to develop him/her to his/her fullest potential.

castanst:

limlim:

[quote=\"castanst\"]
i live in tampines and there are 3 schools within 1KM just tat one is more popular then the other 2.

wow you muz be spolit for choices.. :evil: :evil:

Ya tats y i have no complain abt the current system .. coz i know.. if i chose to try the more popular school .. i hv to take the risk of not getting a seat.[/quote]