More Primary 1 spots reserved for children with no prior connection to school, starting with 2027 registration exercise

Singapore's Primary One Registration Framework will be refined to improve the access and inclusivity of children from all backgrounds, particularly children without prior connections to a school.

From the 2027 P1 registration exercise, two new changes will be introduced by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Education Minister Desmond Lee announced on Sep. 10.

More reserved spots at Phase 2C

There will be an increase in the number of places reserved at the 2C phase, which is opened to all children regardless of prior connections to the school.

This number will be increased from 40 to 60 in all schools, except for those with smaller intakes of less than 180 Primary One students.

The latter will continue to retain 40 reserved places at this phase.

Students in this phase are given fourth priority, after those in Phases 1, 2A and 2B.

Phase 1 applies to children with siblings studying in the school.

The 20 more slots allocated to Phase 2C will be taken from earlier registration phases, Phases 2A and 2B.

Phase 2A is for children whose parents or siblings are former students, staff members, on the school advisory or management committee boards, or if the child was enrolled in an MOE kindergarten at the school.

Meanwhile, Phase 2B is for children whose parents are eligible parent volunteers, church or clan members connected with the school or active grassroots leaders.

Both phases may see a reduction in places available.

The move is intended to enhance access in all schools for those without prior connections to the school, said MOE.

At the same time, it seeks to continue recognising the contributions of alumni members and others who have supported the school and community.

Introduction of two-track scheme in Phase 2C

MOE will also be introducing a two-track scheme in Phase 2C for schools located in neighbourhoods where the proportion of public housing is significantly lower than the national average.

The current home-school distance priority may not substantially broaden access for children from different socio-economic backgrounds in such schools, said MOE.

From 2027, places at Phase 2C will be equally distributed across two tracks:

1. For applicants who live within two kilometres of the school
2. For applicants who live beyond two kilometres of the school

There will be no home-school distance priority within each track.

If the number of applicants exceed the number of places in a track, balloting will be conducted.

Any remaining places in one track will flow to the applicants in the other track.

Like to the current system, Singaporean citizens will have priority over Permanent Residents.

12 schools to start two-track scheme

In 2027, the two-track scheme will be implemented in 12 schools where public housing accounts for less than 40 per cent of dwelling units within two kilometres from the school.

The schools are:

• Anglo-Chinese School (Junior)
• Anglo-Chinese School (Primary)
• CHIJ (Katong) Primary
• Methodist Girls' School (Primary)
• Nanyang Primary School
• Ngee Ann Primary School
• Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School
• Raffles Girls’ Primary SChool
• Singapore Chinese Girls' Primary School
• St. Margaret’s School (Primary)
• Tanjong Katong Primary School
• Tao Nan School

Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) will be excluded from the two-track scheme after moving to Tengah in 2030 as it will no longer fit the criteria, said MOE.

The list of schools will be reviewed by MOE periodically taking into account changes in residential profiles surrounding the school, though frequent changes are not expected.

Part of ongoing changes

The upcoming changes are part of an ongoing review of the P1 Registration Framework.

They also come after feedback from parents, school leaders and alumni associations, who broadly agreed that primary schools should remain open and accessible to families from different backgrounds, Lee explained during a doorstop interview.

"There are different considerations to balance with every change that we make," he said.

"For example," said Lee, "we know that parents value a school near home, particularly for their young children, and it is more convenient for siblings to attend the same school together."

"Ultimately, we want our schools to remain open and inclusive, where our children learn and form friendships beyond their immediate social circles.

They will encounter different perspectives. They will learn to bridge differences, and they will build mutual understanding.

And this is good for the development, especially if you start from a young age, we are going to make sure we continue planning for sufficient places across neighbourhoods, so that families have access to good quality schools that are close to home."