MOE Relooking P1 registration - Too much priority to alumni

[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.

[Funz]

Just a thought. The alumni thing is only a problem in a popular school. All of us are old boys or girls from certain schools, unless we did not study in Singapore. And given that there is a falling birth rate, if all let their kids go back to their old schools, no problem right? Those without any alumni/alumnus (whatever), there are so many new schools coming up. So there, again not much of an issue.


Problem here is people only want to keep their alumni status if they are from a popular school And people only want to do away with the alumni status if they are not from a popular school.

Hehe. Just my evening ramblings.

[Nebbermind]

Funz:

Just a thought. The alumni thing is only a problem in a popular school. All of us are old boys or girls from certain schools, unless we did not study in Singapore. And given that there is a falling birth rate, if all let their kids go back to their old schools, no problem right? Those without any alumni/alumnus (whatever), there are so many new schools coming up. So there, again not much of an issue.


Problem here is people only want to keep their alumni status if they are from a popular school And people only want to do away with the alumni status if they are not from a popular school.

Hehe. Just my evening ramblings.

If we look at only the HDB estates, I really wonder how many really cannot get into any of the schools within 2km.

[Chenonceau]

Nebbermind:

If we look at only the HDB estates, I really wonder how many really cannot get into any of the schools within 2km.

Am told that now 1km also need to ballot... would this indicate that quite a lot cannot get in?

[blueblue]

Let all kids go back to their old school?


Er…my husband’s sch in jurong and now we are staying in north east…

[Chenonceau]

blueblue:

Let all kids go back to their old school?


Er..my husband's sch in jurong and now we are staying in north east..

Why all? What if you dun wanna put your kid back in old school?

[Funz]

Chenonceau:

blueblue:

Let all kids go back to their old school?


Er..my husband's sch in jurong and now we are staying in north east..

Why all? What if you dun wanna put your kid back in old school?

referring to what I wrote about all of us belonging to one school or another, blah blah blah.

[Funz]

blueblue:

Let all kids go back to their old school?


Er..my husband's sch in jurong and now we are staying in north east..

Well if you want to give up your priority for whatever reasons, you join in the fray of trying to PV or balloting. If not, just go for the school with the least competition.

Am just saying that almost everyone of us have some alumni status. It is just a matter of whether it works out for us.

So we can argue this alumni thing all we want. Crux of the matter is, the popular schools will remain grossly over subscribed whether or not alumni is scrapped. No alumni? More places for distance base. But does that really translate to better chances? I doubt. Fairer? Also not so sure. Cos then there is the expensive housing district and all. So how?

Do it like lotto, island wide draw.

[blueblue]

Was from a girls’ school & mine is a boy. Besides my husband’s workplace is in Toa Payoh, so naturally we prefer to stay near Toa Payoh.