Primary 1 registration: More Phase 2C places from 2027, new two-track scheme at 12 schools
Most primary schools will set aside 60 places for Phase 2C, an increase from 40.
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SINGAPORE: Most primary schools will set aside 60 places for Phase 2C from next year's Primary 1 registration exercise, up from 40 currently, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Thursday (Sep 10).
Smaller-intake schools with fewer than 180 Primary 1 places will retain 40 reserved places in Phase 2C. In this year’s registration exercise, 27 out of 179 primary schools had an intake of fewer than 180 places.
Phase 2C is open to all children regardless of prior connection to a school, so more reserved places should widen access for those without such ties, MOE said.
Phase 2B, which is for children whose parent has volunteered at the school, or who has ties to a religious or clan group affiliated with it, will keep to 20 reserved places.
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Children in Phase 2B and earlier phases continue to have priority admission ahead of Phase 2C applicants. Balloting kicks in whenever applicants exceed vacancies in any phase from 2A to 2C Supplementary.
TWO-TRACK SCHEME IN 12 SCHOOLS
From next year's registration, 12 schools in neighbourhoods where public housing makes up less than 40 per cent of homes within 2km will also split their Phase 2C places into two equal tracks – one for applicants living within 2km, another for those beyond it – with no home-school distance priority within either track.
The 12 schools, mostly in Bukit Timah with a few in Marine Parade, 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
Singapore citizens continue to have priority over permanent residents, whose applications are considered only after all citizen applicants across both tracks are admitted.
Balloting will be conducted if the number of citizen applicants exceed its places in each track. If there are unfilled places in one track, they will be moved to citizen applicants in the other track.
For example, in a school with 60 reserved places split 30-30, if only 25 citizen applicants beyond 2km apply, the remaining five places go to citizen applicants within 2km.
MOE said it would periodically review the list to take into account changes to schools' surrounding housing profiles, though it does not expect frequent changes "as housing profiles do not change drastically over a short period".
Asked whether Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) would stay on the list after its move to Tengah in 2030, MOE said its housing profile would change and it would no longer be part of the scheme.
MOE said that while most primary schools draw students from a range of backgrounds, some have a narrower socio-economic mix reflecting their immediate neighbourhoods.
“This is partly due to the current home-school distance priority in the P1 registration framework, where priority is determined by citizenship, followed by home-school distance, when balloting is required.”
"We want our schools to remain open and inclusive, where our children learn and form friendships beyond their immediate social circles," said Minister for Education Desmond Lee, speaking to reporters at Parliament House.
"They will encounter different perspectives, they will learn to bridge differences, and they will build mutual understanding."
BALANCING DIFFERENT VIEWS
MOE said the changes are part of its ongoing review of policies to improve access and support inclusivity in primary schools, shaped by feedback from parents, school leaders and alumni.
Mr Lee said there was broad agreement that primary schools should stay open and accessible to families of different backgrounds, even as views differed on how to achieve this.
Some wanted more places reserved for families without prior connections; others favoured reducing or removing the weight given to home-school distance, he said.
"There are different considerations that we have to balance with every change that we make," he added. "For example, we know that parents value a school that's near to home, particularly for young children, and it's more convenient for siblings to attend the same school together."
MOE will continue investing in every school to ensure quality education for all students, Mr Lee said, and will track registration outcomes to inform further changes.
"We will continue to seek to balance the different considerations involved, including sibling priority, proximity between home and school, alumni ties, as well as contributions to community," he said.
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