GLORYmum:

Alumni contributes to the past and present of the school through activities such as fund raising. Their efforts are acknowledged the same way as those who have contributed as grassroot leaders through their service rendered at community level.


If we choose to ignore their contributions and opt to abolish alumni links at 2A(1) , why do we not also abolish PV, church/Clan and community leader of 2B?

my humble suggestion:

phase 1 - child with siblings presently studying in the school
phase 2A - child of staff member of the school
phase 2B(1) - child residing < 1km
phase 2B(2)- child residing 1-2km
phase 2B(3) - child residing >2km
phase 2C - all children not registered in phases above

Where balloting is required, SCs will be given absolute priority over PRs.

That is simple and straightforward.
:goodpost:
Dont really care if the property prices near Ai Tong or Tao Nan or whichever branded schools will be pushed up. Its the game the rich can afford.

At least, for 平民 like us, we know that wherever we stay, our child will be able to get into the school nearby.

Hi micollh,

Thanks!!!
Will follow your route exactly.

Hi alng,
I stayed in wonstar in XMD before. The location is great and the staff are friendly. But that was years ago when they just opened.
This time round, as I am going with a kid, i booked Westgate in XMD. Suppose to be even nearer to the XMD MRT, and its new.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Hotel_Review-g293913-d3654334-Reviews-Westgate_Hotel-Taipei.html

pirate:

hellokittyspore:

oops sorry, it not intended to be offending as I have not come across taking riskshaw to school.

I have not come across a rickshaw. Period.

Oops sorry for the confusion. I think I have use the wrong term. It's trishaw. Probably some of the younger parents have not seen before. During my era (1970s) trishaw uncles with straw hats will cycle the children to school.
As everyone stay within the vincity, children either walk, take trishaw or bicycle. My parents don't bother to send me to famous schools that are far away. To them distance and convenience for me is more important.


So sorry for using the wrong term. Just googled and realize that rickshaw is those use in 红头巾 times using the pulling mechanism. Sorry sorry.....

During my era, most of children walked to school. There were only 2 buses that serve my school then as most of us live in the neighbourhood. I still remember there are classmates coming via rickshaws.

In my class, only 1 came via car as her father is the teacher of our school
For me, my grandpa send me to school using his bicycle.

No traffic jam. :hugs:

Well said Dora1 and limlim.



My friend has phase 2A priority to a "not bad primary school" and the branded full school as she is the alumni of the secondary division.

The "not bad primary school" is within 2km from her place. But the branded full school is very far. She eventually decided on the branded full school as it is an IP school. The bus journey home was an hour+ and on days with remedial or extra lessons, she has to take the 4pm bus home even though the extra lessons ends at 3pm.
The poor girl reach home at 5pm on such days and her work had detoriated.
She suspect its due to the long travelling and the fact that between 3pm to 4pm, she do not know what her girl is doing. The rest of the night, the girl can’t concentrate and she has to remove all her weekday enrichment. Cannot expect too much since she is only primary 2.

Her advice to me is distance is very important. It can drain out a kid unless you are able to drive her to and fro. Her daughter told her quite a number of her classmates were picked by mummies/chauffeurs. So guess for such students, distance doesnt really matter.

If only there is higher certainty for children staying near the school, it will make my decision easier.


My cousin stayed in the HDB flat next to Rosyth. Yet both her son were balloted out as the school has alumni all over Singapore. So sad.

Somehow the system now is, even if you stay beside the school, your chance is still limited by the earlier phases.

Is this priority system for alumni widely practise in the world?


On closer look, schools like Henry Park, CHIJ St Nicholas, Ai Tong, Catholic High,ACS, Nanyang etc, even before phase 2B, more than 80% is already taken up.

In fact,this alumni system is opening up to more people. For "full schools" like St Nicholas, SCGS, MGS, Catholic, Maris Stella etc, the alumni from their secondary school can also participate in phase 2A of the primary school registration.

The system should look at the benefits for the children. It can be very tiring for the kids to spend ridiculous hours on travelling time, especially when they are already subjected to CCA/ enrichment / tuition after school! By the time the poor kid reach home, he will be totally drained.
I remember taking my long bus journey back in my uni days. It was so tiring even though i was already in my early 20s.

Priority should continue to be given to alumni only if they are staying within 2-3km.
We should not allow children to be travelling all around Singapore to attend the choice school.

3Boys:

Focusing on foreigners is wrongful because:


1) Whatever you say about foreigners competing for places in school, the same can be said manifold for Singaporeans.

2) It distracts from the main issues around access to popular schools, which is the broken and unfair Phase 2A/2B alumni/volunteer systems. Unfair in that it stacks the odds for some people and for no good reason.

3) It's awfully small minded.....

Hmmm...yes, the alumni/volunteer is indeed the alarming piece.
Had a quick glance at the cumulative take up rate (TUR) for the schools in Novena/Bt Timah. These are the schools with IP prog/affiliated program to their sec schools. Yet the number of places left for children staying in that area is pathetic.

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/novena
http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/bukit-timah

On average, 80% of the places are taken up before phase 2C.
Out of the 80% places taken up in alumni or volunteer phase, how many of the children are really staying nearby? How many children are taking an hour bus journey to school and back home?

Its getting ironic whereby children who stay near a school cant get into their nearby school and had to travel further just because the school nextdoor is taken up by alumni from all over Singapore.

Agreed!

These are the people who wants the best of both world. Benefits from their home country and also here in Singapore. The PRs in my office refuse to take up citizenship as they felt that they are already sharing the same benefits as Spore citizen anyway. These PRs are the old birds in my company. Stay more than 20 yrs in Singapore. They say since they are not applying for HDB flats, they do not need to convert to citizens since the condo they bought is priced the same for PR or citizens.

One of them has 2 sons in ACS. The younger son despite being a non citizen, he got in under Phase 1 as the elder brother is already in the school.

In fact, I think the citizens over PR priority should be applied throughout the registration.

A PR who volunteered and stayed >2km who get in via Phase 2B will still have priority over a citizen staying within 1Km from the school who apply in Phase 2C.

Likewise for PR in Phase 2A or Phase 1, they will still take up the place before us, even if we stay right next to the school!

Hi tankee,

So eventually did you purchase the home before or after yr kid get into the school?
Felt its a big risk to take if I purchase the new home for the school and in the end cannot get in and was posted to some other schools further away.

Especially when more than 70% of the places of these popular schools are taken up even before phase 2C where distance is considered.