THE recent furore in the newspapers about Primary 1 registration has stirred my soul again. The issue is even more hotly debated on the Internet.

I have written previously about this but received no reply from the Ministry of Education (MOE). Perhaps it is already in the midst of a strategy review to tackle this perennial issue.

The increasing number of Primary 1 registrants and stressed parents is more than sufficient reason for MOE to address this issue quickly.

The CPF Board has tweaked its system time and again. No policy is cast in stone. MOE should follow suit. It should continually assess the situation and improve its policies to best suit changing times and needs.

No doubt the phases have been in place for many years now and once served us well. However, due to dramatic demographic changes over a long period, it is high time a change is made.

Birth rates have declined steadily yet the student population has increased over the years. Schools have merged and relocated. Class sizes are shrinking.

Primary 1 intakes are important as they form the basic building blocks of the nation. These young minds will spend the next 10 or 12 years in the education system. I propose a gradual change in the registration system, done quickly.

I propose the following registration phases to cut red tape and introduce more transparency and equitability.

Siblings - For children with brothers or sisters already studying in the school. They should be granted a place automatically;

Citizens - This will give priority to our sons and daughters born on Singapore soil; and

Non-citizens - This will cater to permanent residents (PRs) and children with foreign passports. These growing numbers should have a chance to grow together. This phase will probably include a balloting segment if there are no vacancies due to higher-than-expected take-up rates in the earlier two phases.

Singapore's birth rate has hovered below 40,000 annually, while in 2005 and 2006, the number of PRs granted was above 50,000. With this, prioritisation of citizens over non-citizens is fair and impartial.

Monday was the first day of Primary 1 registration. But it is still not too late. There are future generations as this is an annual event. Ultimately, MOE should bite the bullet and move on.

Chong Kim Hwa