Singaporeans to get priority for P1 places during balloting

25.03.2012

From this year, Singaporeans will get absolute priority over permanent residents when it comes to balloting for primary school places.
The Education Ministry said where balloting is required during Primary One registration, Singaporeans will be admitted first ahead of permanent residents, before home-school distance is considered.
For example, when the number of applications exceed the number of school places, Singaporeans who live closer to the school of choice will get higher priority compared to Singaporeans who live further away.
Citizens living within one kilometre will be admitted first, followed by those who live between one kilometre and two kilometres from school.
Singaporeans who live outside two kilometres of the school of choice will then be given a place.
If there are still vacancies in the school after all eligible Singaporean children have been admitted after balloting, places will be given to permanent residents, with priority given to those who live closer to school.
MOE said by giving Singaporeans priority over PRs only when balloting is required, it retains the underlying principles of the Primary One registration framework, which reflect a careful balance of considerations, and provide for diversity in Singapore schools, while according citizens a further privilege.
This is on top of a measure introduced in 2010, where Singaporeans are given two ballot slips for each child for Primary One registration, while PRs get one ballot slip per child.
Lim Biow Chuan, GPC Chair, Mountbatten GRC, said: "For many Singaporean parents, this is just that little edge that they are asking for.
"Sometimes the balloting is just one or two persons out of the scheme and that's so painful for them. So that extra advantage, I think would be greatly welcome by them.
"I'm sure the PRs will not be happy but I think if you're PR, I think if you go to any country, most permanent residents, they do accept the fact that in a country where you are not a citizen, the government of the day would have to give priority and would have to give privileges to being citizens of that country.
"So I think most PRs would accept that this is something that they have to live with being a permanent resident."
The Education Ministry said the new framework provides diversity in schools while giving Singaporeans further privilege.
The Education Minister said schools will hold open houses and talks before the Primary One registration.
Mr Heng said: "What we need to do a lot more is to make sure that our school leaders and our teachers go out and explain what the schools are doing.
"We'll want our schools to hold open houses and talks so that parents can understand the programmes that their children will be going through and as well as having our schools to better inform parents on the specific programmes that they have to develop a range of life skills, and not just academic work."
MOE also announced that there will be seven new primary schools next year - five in the new towns of Sengkang and Punggol, and one each in Jurong West and Woodlands.
They are Westwood Primary in Jurong West, Punggol View Primary and Punggol Green Primary in Punggol, Palm View Primary, Sengkang Green Primary and Springdale Primary in Sengkang and Riverside Primary in Woodlands.