verykiasu2010:

your reasoning is irrational.


there is no difference between :

(1) someone bought HDB, sold it, moved to private, now want to buy HDB to downgrade and live in it and rent out the private for rental income for sustenance

and

(2) and existing HDB owner, accumulate enough cash, buy a private for investment income

In EFFECT : both are living in HDB and getting rental income from private property

There is no difference.

HDB owners are also rich - rich enough to own investment properties

So why penalise the private property owner who wish to downgrade to live in HDB flat ?

Of course there is no difference if you look at the end state of what each of them hold on their hands.

But if you look at the state of each of them when the HDB was purchased, they are totally different and that's what the govt is trying to separate now. Pte owner who downgrade can afford the hdb or another private property. The guy who bought the hdb and kept it while accumulating his/her funds had no other options when he applied for the hdb and that's what the hdb flats are for, isn't it? For pple who cannot afford non-public housing. If the govt dun block the pte prop owners from coming in, the present non-owners can never compete with these downgraders for a hdb flat. Then public housing policy has failed.

verykiasu2010:

why victimise and target the private property owner ?

I think that once anyone owns a 2nd property, it's seldom for the the reason for them to stay in it but for investment purporses. Hence if u r buying a 2nd property, it shd not be a HDB that you are buying because it's not for investment but HDB is public housing and it's unfair for someone having the means to live in private housing to compete with people who cannot afford anything else but HDB.

If one has stayed in HDB and accumulate enough to move on to purchase a 2nd property, it's a sign of progress and that 2nd property should be bought from the private market.

I think it's quite hard for govt to tell pple must sell HDB before buying private because the HDB was bought when one's financial circumstances were different in the earlier days (since they bought it legitimately when they needed it and were entitled to it then) and now you are \"penalising\" them for progressing while they are not taking any public houses away from people who need them when they buy from private sector.

Personally I felt the govt shd have intervened way back to stop people using HDB as investment tools as it deprives those who really need it. The policy shift from cost based to market value based method selling of new HDB flats have also contributed to HDB prices going up over a short period of time. If you bought your new HDB for 200k, would you sell for 150k? So if you bought new HDB for 400k, you would aim to sell for 500k at least... how then will hdb resale prices not head for the sky? I hope some NDB officers are reading this...

I think we had our own subprime in the making as people were buying several properties or over borrowing while the interest rates are low and instalments are affordable for now. When the rates do go up (and they will one day), if wages don't go up, then there will be a wave of selling similar to what happened to USA (because cannot afford to keep or rental not keeping up or foreclosures). Govt has to act now before it's too late.

As in any policy, you won't be able to please everyone but the considerations must be sound (just that because it's implemented late, more people are pissed because the delay caused more people to join in the wagon that is now hit). BTW, I am not a civil servant.

I am just thankful that I have my own HDB and almost fully paid up. Worry for my children though but worrying can't change anything so don't think too much and give them the best I can offer as a father.

Juanthedragon:

Hi All,

No, my child did not secure a place with MCS. I will now consider phase3 school for her.
I will now seriously consider relocating my family overseas.

Sorry to hear that. Take care.

ryes:

Can anyone advice for SAJS :

St. Andrew’s Junior School 73 79

Does this means 79 people are all staying within 1 km and they need to ballot for the remaining 73 seats?

Or the 79 people are a mixture of within 1 km, 1-2km and more than 2km?

79 all within 1km, only 73 places for SAJS this year. You cannot see this information on MOE number of vacancies page but if you go to the MOE schools conducting ballot page or the SAJS website, you will be able to see the 79 are all within 1km.

mrswongtuition:

I personally will pick German.

Why?

1. My secondary school senior took German as 3rd language (she only started learning it in S1) and she actually went on to further her studies in Germany. She's now teaching at MOELC. I've seen how she pick up the language with relative ease though she did not have anyone to communicate with at that time (but her teacher hooked her up with some German penpals and she did go there on a trip to visit).

2. 5 of my friends are currently working in Germany and they told me that they really enjoy working there. Short working hours, great experienced gained from working there. They are only there to gain experience, no intentions of settling down there. 3 of them did mention that they had some communication probs because they did not know a word of German but now they are very comfortable there.

3. You can converse with her. It will be like a 'secret' language between your child and you. It's a special bonding time for mother and child. I'm trying to teach my boy how to speak Thai (picked it up on my numerous mission trips there). It's rather fun to teach him new words. However, my hubs also knows some simple Thai, so unless we converse with more advanced vocab/sentence structure, my hubs can still guess what we are talking about


However, I will not official lessons on that. Just some simple basic convo at home cos I want my boy to master English and Chinese first. 3rd lang can come later

Hi,

I am a Singaporean Chinese who speaks French. I don't think it's a very difficult language to learn but as for all languages, it takes time, effort and practice and lots of practice.

If I were to choose for my own kids, I will make sure they know English and Chinese (the next language that will be commercially important) well first. Japanese has a lot of commercial value (just turn to Recruit section of the Sat papers you can tell) and I think German has more value over French in Singapore and in most parts of Europe. However, the French language sounds better while German is \"rougher\".

At the end of the day, it's the passion and interest that will sustain one from learning the language. Today I still speak French and make every attempt to communicate with any French-speaking people I encounter and it's always pleasant to make a new friend just like that.

These are my personal views.

ralf2:

Hi im the father who's blur and confused with the p1 reg system. Thanks for all the great info fellow kiasu parents have provided me with. Jus a few more qn. I have 2 boys. The elder one goes to p1 in 2012. I was a cat high old boy in 1982 p1. The cat high i knew was super interested in money or DONATIONS and not the least keen on the students progress, discipline etc etc. Which kind of explained cat high's primary and secondary school results freefall in the next 20 years. Thats y im hesitant to send my boy there. However from what i gather if i try for taonan(house<1km) i only belong to phase 2c.. i tot i was 2b?? and those outside 1km belong to what 2d?? is 2c's chance high? how do i reg for 2a cat high and try for 2c tao nan? last qn, if barring dist, and both phase 2a, which do u guys/gals prefer? i havent done too much for my boys because of my biz travels and i hope that i can at least give them a good school to start with. Thanks plenty.. :? :?:

Hi,

You can find the description of all the phases here http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/primary-one-registration/phases/

Chances for Phase 2C is not high for popular schools like Tao Nan because most likely you need to ballot even if you are within 1km.
There is no phase 2D.

To summarise,
Phase 2A is for alumni, parents who are teaching, or parent in school committee.
Phase 2B is for parent volunteer, community leader, church/clan affiliation.
Phase 2C is for you if you are none of the earlier phases and is a Singaporean or PR. This is for most people.
Within every phase there is possibility of balloting if the number of applicants exceed the number of vacancies and that is where distance of home to school comes in. The applicants nearer are given the places first and only if that is not enough then balloting takes place.
However for the earlier phases like 2A and prior, usually there's so many vacancies still available that all who apply normally get in and only from Phase 2B onwards is balloting common for popular schools.
For example, 40 places left in P2C, 30 applicants are within 1km, 20 are from 1-2km an 15 are more than 2km. The 30 within 1km will all get in. Balloting fo the 20 between 1-2km will take place and only 10 will get it and the disappointed 10 will need to register in Phase 2C Supplementary (where it's first come first serve, no more distance priority). For the 15 more than 2km away, they will not stand any chance at all.

I prefer Tao Nan because it's nearer but most likely have to go through the uncertainty of balloting. If you want certainty, then CHS is the choice cos you can register in the earlier phases (might need to join alumni) though Bishan is a bit far from East Coast!

maltbibi:

Agape:

[quote=\"maltbibi\"]
Thanks for the information. Can I confirm that if I used my parents' address for phase 2B, I am considered within 1-2km and not 1km rite?

Are you asking for this year or next year? Because Phase 2B is over already. If you use your parents' address, if they are 1-2km then your application would be considered as such. For Pei Chun there was balloting for Phase 2B 1-2km and the results should be out already.

Oops, actually asking for next year's registration. So if my parents stay within one km, do they consider 1 km or 1-2km?[/quote]For statutory declaration, even though address used is within 1km, you will be with 1-2km. You can get the details from MOE website here:
http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/primary-one-registration/#statutory-declaration

maltbibi:

brownie_06:

[quote=\"maltbibi\"]Can somebody please share with me whether there is any balloting for Pei Chun at Phase 2B from 1-2km? Tried to search the information from the earlier posts but may have missed it.


Thanks.

Yes balloting needed for Phase 2B.

Thanks for the information. Can I confirm that if I used my parents' address for phase 2B, I am considered within 1-2km and not 1km rite?[/quote]Are you asking for this year or next year? Because Phase 2B is over already. If you use your parents' address, if they are 1-2km then your application would be considered as such. For Pei Chun there was balloting for Phase 2B 1-2km and the results should be out already.

vicki:

Hi, fyi MS as at noon is balloting >2km, 14 for 2 seats. Thk most likely by eod, it shd be balloting for the 1to2km registrants. Good luck.

You are right! Balloting at MS for 1-2km... This P1 registration can really be quite exciting and tough on the faint hearted...

Ontherock:

cherrygal:

[quote=\"brownie_06\"]
Yes I am confirm P2A at Pei Chun

What are you thinking? We tot you had no school yet... alamak, DON'T WITHDRAW! Pei Chun is more popular than MSH (I won't say better lah)...
Keep the seat!

Yes i agreed too, dun take the risk 8)[/quote]I would also stay with Pei Chun if I'm in the same shoes... it's a good school!