Opinions of the Primary School Registration System

[forevernikon]

Such is an unethical act as well but there is nothing much we can do about it unless MOE decide to impose a new rule that all parents or rather school going child must stay at that address throughout the whole duration of primary education.


FYI, I knew of such a case as reported in this forum last year

[Precious2.012911lee]

Unethical act is still minority, I feel. Majority is still genuine residential address. MOE should solve the bigger issue of over subscribed in the earlier phases as the no of places left for 2C are getting lesser and lesser over the years. This is perhaps one of the reasons contributing to why parents need to constantly "think out of the box" so their children get a place in the better schools. Staying within 1km already can’t get in, let alone those staying a bit further.

[teddy]

Think the solutions to prevent unfair registration to take advantage of the 1km and 2km distance can be as follow, it is whether MOE willing to implement or not:

1) Parents must use self-owned residential address to register kids for P1
OR
2) Parents who use rental address or their own parents' or relatives' address (in the name of \"staying\" with their parents or relative' but in reality are not) must not own any property (to prevent rent or change address to just for registration but not staying in there)
AND
3) Parents who moved out of 2km of the school within 3 years after kids got into the P1 of the school must be transferred to another school within 1km or at least 2km of their new address (to prevent abuse of buying to register and then selling with no intention of staying there for long).

Actually, the most unfair of all that should be removed are:
1) Grassroot leaders - what on earth should they get priority when they live far away from that school and deprive another kid from entering the school that they live within 1-2km?
2) Alumni & old girls & old boys! - Sleeping alumni & old girls & old boys who don't contribute to the school and they live far away, why should they get priority?
3) Parent volunteers! Yes, MOE created these cheap and free labourers for the schools so that schools can save money even if these people live far away from the school? :rahrah:
I won't be surprised that many parent volunteers are now mostly PRs getting priority to get into the school when govt laid new regulations to give more priority to citizens! New regulations are useless when there are so many loopholes in P1 registrations!
And I heard PRs can also be grassroot leaders as they tried all means to priority over citizens in P1 registration. Is this true? :mad:

MMM:

To be fair to those angry parents who genuinely stayed within 1km, didn't get in (balloted out due to luck) and lashing out to those \"cheaters\" who got in, I don't think they are being ungracious. Anyone in that position would really feel terrible. Yes, if it is a fair playing field and you got balloted out, fine it's just your luck. Accept it and move on.

But if there are cheaters in the system who got the place through unethical and lack of integrity behaviour. Do you still think that is alright??? Should we be gracious to accept these \"cheaters\" as they are just so desperate? I actually sympathise with those parents who were affected by the cheaters because I personally came across a couple of cheaters. I think it doesn't feel good for me to know they are doing that but I don't think I will go to the extreme of reporting them.

To clarify, I am talking about popular schools in general. I think we wre lucky that kids went to my alma mater so there was no P1 registration stress to speak of. But I've been monitoring this P1 registration thingy for couple of years.

I saw how friends change their address at the last minute to some relative's house that is within 1km of a popular school. Kid got in. But is that ethical and fair to those genuinely living within 1km ? No.

I also saw how friends bought a place near a popular school but rent it out. Used the address for priority registration and kids got in. Is that fair to those genuinely living within 1km ? No.

I also heard of friends who rented a place near the school. They terminated their lease after kids got in. Was there any intention to cheat in the first place??? Yes.

So pls don't misunderstand this as hatred as just want to share what parents do to resort to get their kids in. This is real. I personally believe in justice and fairness, so I feel that more control should be put in place by MOE to ensure that it deters parents from becoming a cheater.

[Scary]

Precious2.lee:

Unethical act is still minority, I feel. Majority is still genuine residential address. MOE should solve the bigger issue of over subscribed in the earlier phases as the no of places left for 2C are getting lesser and lesser over the years. This is perhaps one of the reasons contributing to why parents need to constantly \"think out of the box\" so their children get a place in the better schools. Staying within 1km already can't get in, let alone those staying a bit further.

One way is to cut-off full school affiliation like Nanyang. Those from Nanyang Girls' High were able to register in Nanyang Pri previously (Now still can if one graduated b4 197X). They cut this affiliation away. If not, I am very sure nothing will be left for 2B and 2C in Nanyang Pri.

*Those from full school sec please don't KO me. Just a suggestion to resolve the oversubscribe issue in earlier phases.

[teddy]

Actually it is more rampant than you think or know, many variations:

1) Parents use own parents or relatives addresses to register, but never really live in that address
2) Parents rent the smallest & cheapest rental property to register for P1 but never live there
3) Parents bought a property just to register for P1, then after getting their kid registered, sell away and move far away within 1 or 2 years (no intention to stay within 1km of the school for long - they knew this all along)
4) Parents rent and live in the rental property to register for P1 but after getting in, move far away within 1 or 2 years
5) Parents use their own properties that they don't live in but rented out or intending to rent out (but keep empty for a few months to facilitate them to use that address) to register for P1

Ribena48:

No matter how the system is structured people will find ways to overcome the rules. Just like illegal parking. How I wish there are volunteer traffic warden to book illegal parking nearby United Square. Because of the popular tuition ctr like learning lab, lorna whiston, GUG ...etc. too many cars waiting illegal outside the ctr. Just to save that $2 when the tuition fee can be $70 per hr! Tell the traffic warden stop listening to people giving excuses and just go ahead book fines! Ok sorry to side track. But it is just almost the same analogy about p1 regi system.
Unless we want to take away alumni, churches/clan members, siblings..etc should we then suggest first come first serve? We were there once and people then fought to ask for some priorities to certain group of people. People fought and asked for flexibilities of the system but over time some people abuse it. And now we criticise current system but no one have so far given any good and constructive suggestion. (i can't think of one too). Those who dare to 'borrow' address on paper and not staying are not many. Whoever knows it can just report to MOE. As for those staying in 'rented' address for a very short term it is not easy to 'catch' but if we know we can report too. If we look at the balloting details we should be glad that the new policy does help many of us. Even if it means only one seat more, if you would ask those that just came back from balloting today, they can tell you how precious is that \"1\" seat.
The new ruling has just been implemented we should seek change if it is not working but let's see how it goes after this exercise before asking for change again.

[Scary]

teddy:

Actually it is more rampant than you think or know, many variations:

1) Parents use own parents or relatives addresses to register, but never really live in that address
2) Parents rent the smallest & cheapest rental property to register for P1 but never live there
3) Parents bought a property just to register for P1, then after getting their kid registered, sell away and move far away within 1 or 2 years (no intention to stay within 1km of the school for long - they knew this all along)
4) Parents rent and live in the rental property to register for P1 but after getting in, move far away within 1 or 2 years
5) Parents use their own properties that they don't live in but rented out or intending to rent out (but keep empty for a few months to facilitate them to use that address) to register for P1

It is impossible to \"catch\" all at a time. Maybe show S&P agreement during registration to prove that you own a particular place? This will prevent people from renting.

[forevernikon]

All our primary schools are well-resourced with good teachers, suitable facilities and sufficient funding for school programmes. They are fully equipped to develop every child to his or her fullest potential, and [b]there are sufficient school places in every region of Singapore to cater to the needs of all Singaporean children[/b]


May I please ask MOE to consider reviewing the above sentence especially for the extremely popular schools alongf Bukit Timah & Dunearn Road area. Please lar, everyone know there ISN'T SUFFICIENT school places for residents along these roads :roll:

[tankee]

forevernikon:

All our primary schools are well-resourced with good teachers, suitable facilities and sufficient funding for school programmes. They are fully equipped to develop every child to his or her fullest potential, and [b]there are sufficient school places in every region of Singapore to cater to the needs of all Singaporean children[/b]


May I please ask MOE to consider reviewing the above sentence especially for the extremely popular schools alongf Bukit Timah & Dunearn Road area. Please lar, everyone know there ISN'T SUFFICIENT school places for residents along these roads :roll:

Bukit Timah Primary is within the same zone, and it still has 134 vacancies.

[SAHM_TAN]

forevernikon:

All our primary schools are well-resourced with good teachers, suitable facilities and sufficient funding for school programmes. They are fully equipped to develop every child to his or her fullest potential, and [b]there are sufficient school places in every region of Singapore to cater to the needs of all Singaporean children[/b]


May I please ask MOE to consider reviewing the above sentence especially for the extremely popular schools alongf Bukit Timah & Dunearn Road area. Please lar, everyone know there ISN'T SUFFICIENT school places for residents along these roads :roll:

Of course MOE know that's why indicated \"region\" mah

:offtopic:

[lynn2009]

any chance for the teachers to rotate every 3 years maybe? So sap teachers goes to non-sap school n non-sap teachers go to sap school…since every teachers have to graduate from moe n holding same qualification.