Pri 1 registration to start on July 3

SINGAPORE - Parents whose six-year-olds are starting Primary 1 classes next year can start to register them on July 3, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday.

Some 41,000 children - similar to the number in last year's cohort - will be applying to 187 primary schools this year.

This year, parents will face a new rule. Schools are required to reserve 40 places in Phases 2B and 2C - 20 in each phase - to ensure "continued open access to all primary schools".

This move to foster more student diversity in top schools was announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at last year's National Day Rally. This guarantees there will be more vacancies in the later phases.

The earlier phases - 1 and 2A - are for siblings of current and former pupils of the school, or for children whose parents attended the school.

Phase 2B, which starts on July 21, is for children whose parents have volunteered in schools, have links to churches or clans, or are active community members.

Phase 2C, which begins on July 30, is for those with no links to schools, while Phase 2C Supplementary is for those who still have not secured places after the earlier phases. This year, parents who are registering their children under these two phases for all primary schools can also use an online system, instead of turning up in schools.

The ministry had piloted this scheme in eight schools in 2011 to give parents an alternative way of registering their children. Parents who are registering their children in person should do so between 8am and 11am and between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, from Mondays to Fridays. The last day of registration is Aug 28.

The MOE said yesterday: "There will be sufficient school places for all eligible Primary 1 students on a regional and nationwide basis."

ateng@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on June 20, 2014.
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