MOE Relooking P1 registration - Too much priority to alumni

[limlim]

mum_sugoku:

My apology :oops: . I had misinterpreted \"no. of application exceed the no. of vacancies from Phase 2A(1) to Phase...\" as quotas are being set for each phase--including Phase 2A. All along I didn't know that the supposed \"vacancies\" for phase 2A actually refer to the overall places available for P1 (after phase 1).

So ya, I have to concede that indeed there is no cap for phase 2A lor.

I guess the onus is on MOE to make it less ambiguous..

until dorisp called MOE and give a confirmed answer and had shared with us, I also cannot confirmed what MOE is trying to say on it's website also.. hence I said \"can be\" instead of some conclusive statement..

[limlim]

vratenza:

Alumni is simply old boys/girls club. Some may be top scorer, some may be top sportsperson, some may be prefect head, some maybe the truant king, some may have failed or retained, some may have been caught smoking in toilet, some just passed through the school system without even being noticed once......
non of these can deny the fact that they are the product of the school culture and system.

You've said it, they are the PRODUCT of the school. They benefited from it.

And bcoz they're the product and they benefited from it, their offspring should be accorded priority to further benefit from it and possibly deprive another \"staying nearby\" of the chance?

They contributed.. yes.

But they contribute as a way of paying back what they have TOOK from the school.. the invaluable education that they have received.

They took.. they contributed, and they took it again for their offspring.. and they take it again for their grand off spring.. and they take and take and take and take................................................

their offspring may contribute.. they may not.. but even if they do not.. they are given the liberty to take some more....

Unless.. we scrap or limit the alumni priority..

Of coz, even \"if\" we scrap it, alumni still may get in even w/o priority, or they may be staying nearby.. so.. alumni offspring still got chance to be in the school and carry on the \"baton\" in their family line.. if they are sentimental about it

[limlim]

LuckiMummy:

Hi I am newbie... read the posts with much amazement.


Would like to seek advice from the experienced people here... there is NO primary school within 2km where I live... I do not really want to be a PV or grassroot helper. I also do not have the resources $$ to move to within 2km of a good school.

Does it mean the most direct way for my child to get into a primary school is to rely on my alumni link?

Thx a lot to anyone who can help!

1. No schools within 2km.. I'm not sure how widespread is this unfortunate situation.. maybe you can approach your MP.. he might help you with the nearest school.. appears like quite isolated case..

2. You are not near to any school. distance priority is neither fair nor unfair to you. Alumni priority does not necessary get you the nearest school either, if your concern is on distance. If distance is not a concern, apparently you do not need help.. :evil: All kids are guaranteed a place in primary school education. MOE says so. You WILL get a school.

[DesertWind]

Hi, any idea why everybody is still going on in this thread? More changes to come?

[blueblue]

[quote]Frankly I've no idea how the school (or MOE) decides the no. of places for phase 2A.. But one possibility is that actually, there aren't as many applicants applying under phase 2A as we've thought; and that' s why the quota was never filled..[/quote]
Mum_sugoku, the current quota for phase 1 and phase 2A is the total number of vacancies in the schools. Of course, there are limited applicants, so it can't fill the total vancancies available in the school, so the leftover is divided equally to phase 2B and 2C. However, going forward, with more and more alumni coming out from the branded schs, over the years, there will be more and more under phase 2A coming onboard and it may reduce the number of vacancies for 2B and 2C. I believe that is why there is a call to cap that number.[/quote]

Someone mentioned earlier on that it is not fair to cap or make any adjustment to 2A and something should be done to 2B instead.

During my time, there was no cap to 2B at all. It meant all places taken up and thus leaving few places for 2C. That was the reason why MOE decided to place a cap on 2B eventually. So I think it is fairer to look at 2A instead of 2B this time round. I also feel that balance of seats from Phrase one should be equally divided into 2A, 2B to 2C.

[Chenonceau]

To have pure distance priority will result in a new equilibrium. Ghettoes will grow up around the less good schools (low property prices)… and rich neighbourhoods around the good schools. Over time, rich and poor divide gets worse.

[Funz]

limlim:

1. No schools within 2km.. I'm not sure how widespread is this unfortunate situation.. maybe you can approach your MP.. he might help you with the nearest school.. appears like quite isolated case..

2. You are not near to any school. distance priority is neither fair nor unfair to you. Alumni priority does not necessary get you the nearest school either, if your concern is on distance. If distance is not a concern, apparently you do not need help.. :evil: All kids are guaranteed a place in primary school education. MOE says so. You WILL get a school.

Not that isolated lah. There might be a school but not a coed school and your child is not of the correct gender to get into the school. My case. Hehe

But there definitely will be a school available not too far. Not within 2km, maybe 2.1km. It is just a matter of how hot/unhot that school is. If it is hot, then too bad, no chance for you. If it is not hot, then you decide if you want that school. But ultimately, there is enough vacancies for all kids.

[Lyddon]

Chenonceau:

To have pure distance priority will result in a new equilibrium. Ghettoes will grow up around the less good schools (low property prices)... and rich neighbourhoods around the good schools. Over time, rich and poor divide gets worse.

Totally agree.
New equilibrium of rich people's popular school vs poor people's school.

Our public school entry system will be like our COE system.
If got lotsa money then can buy within 1km, got chance to go into popular school.

This is made worse if there are little HDBs and plenty of private properties within 1km.
... sort of like COE system but with only quota of less than 10 places for motorbikes.

[limlim]

Chenonceau:

To have pure distance priority will result in a new equilibrium. Ghettoes will grow up around the less good schools (low property prices)... and rich neighbourhoods around the good schools. Over time, rich and poor divide gets worse.

I am not convinced that the impact will be that great. Any data to suggest that the HDB flats ard a popular sch is priced out of reach of average SC compared to similar houses elsewhere?

Also, Like I mentioned earlier, there is no reason to suggest that all the poor ard a popular sch will vacant their house.

On the other hand, rich alumni will not be hindered by distance while poor alumni will give up their priority due to practicality.

So alumni priority will mean the popular schools will get higher and higher % of rich students.. isn't it?

[Chenonceau]

limlim:

Chenonceau:

To have pure distance priority will result in a new equilibrium. Ghettoes will grow up around the less good schools (low property prices)... and rich neighbourhoods around the good schools. Over time, rich and poor divide gets worse.

I am not convinced that the impact will be that great. Any data to suggest that the HDB flats ard a popular sch is priced out of reach of average SC compared to similar houses elsewhere?

Also, Like I mentioned earlier, there is no reason to suggest that all the poor ard a popular sch will vacant their house.

On the other hand, rich alumni will not be hindered by distance while poor alumni will give up their priority due to practicality.

So alumni priority will mean the popular schools will get higher and higher % of rich students.. isn't it?

In the short term, there will be stickiness. In 2 decades, things will have time to evolve. The ghettos are inevitable. Money talks loud. Alumni ties don't respond so much to money. They're love relationships.

This said, I am not trying to defend alumni for love. I would rather a school that will aggressively improve teaching in order to raise standards, instead of aggressively test so that parents will scramble to improve standards. There is at least ONE elite school whose parents are over represented in my motivation workshops, indicating thus that it tests more than teaches. There are neighbourhood schools which teach better.

I merely point out that if you close off alumni then in the long term, money alone is left to talk because people buy property with money. HDB flats in the long term can undergo SERS. After 30 over years, the reinforced steel bars inside the HDB high rises rust and the government MUST take down the buildings and relocate people. Given enough monetary incentive, these sites can be sold to developers for condos. The landscape will change to reflect the money that is attracted to the area because of an ELITE SCHOOL MAGNET.

In the short term, what you propose looks equitable. In the long term, it is a recipe for even more inequity. It's the Animal Farm principle. If you want data, look at the USA.

In addition, amongst HDB flat dwellers there are richer and poorer too. Fine-grained distinctions in size of purse. These will bid high the HDB flats. If I were desperate enough for a good school, I would prefer an HDB flat to a swanky small condo unit. Mayhaps then that some HDB flats will sell at higher prices than some condos located elsewhere. Happened in Bishan. RI is in Bishan.