SINGAPORE, Oct 7 — Singapore’s revised Primary 1 registration framework aims to widen access to popular primary schools from 2027, but some Members of Parliament (MPs) have questioned how the changes will affect families living near these schools and whether they will actually lead to greater social mixing.

MP Gho Sze Kee raised concerns in Parliament today about the impact of the changes on families in Mountbatten, saying she had “many upset parents” in the constituency.

She noted that Kong Hwa School, the only primary school in Mountbatten, is already “routinely oversubscribed”.

Gho said some children within the area have to consider neighbouring schools, four of which — Tanjong Katong Primary School, Tao Nan School, CHIJ (Katong) Primary School and Ngee Ann Primary School — are among the 12 schools that will come under the new two-track Phase 2C scheme. 

Under this new scheme, 12 schools in areas with relatively low levels of public housing will split places equally between children living within 2km of the school and those living more than 2km away, with no further distance priority within each track.

“It is unconscionable that a child living a stone’s throw away from a school should be forced to travel to another primary school further away simply because the school next door is very popular,” Gho said. 

Gho asked Education Minister Desmond Lee whether the Ministry of Education (MOE) had assessed where children who may no longer secure a place at these schools would go, as well as the distance and travel time they could face and the resulting pressure on neighbouring schools.

She also questioned whether using distance from a school was a reliable proxy for socio-economic diversity, pointing out that families living beyond 2km may not necessarily come from different socio-economic backgrounds than those living nearby.

“With this new framework, we are simply drawing a circle around a school and handicapping every child living within that circle,” Gho said. 

“Worse, this framework makes the assumption that children living outside of that circle will be from different socio-economic backgrounds.”

Lee: Social mixing depends on parents’ choices

Responding to Gho’s concerns, Lee said the changes were intended to widen access for children from different backgrounds while maintaining opportunities for those living near the schools.

He said MOE introduced the two-track scheme because relying solely on home-school distance may not substantially broaden access in neighbourhoods where the housing profile is predominantly of one type.

However, he stressed that whether the changes ultimately result in greater social mixing would also depend on parents’ choices.  

“We recognise the frustrations of parents who come to to us and say, ‘Well, I live opposite a school, but that’s a popular school, and alumni go in. There are siblings in there, you know, and I don’t get to go there,’” Lee said. 

He said the changes are intended to broaden opportunities for access and give more families a chance to apply to popular schools.

Lee added that the 12 schools were selected because public housing makes up less than 40 per cent of dwelling units within a 2km radius of the school.

By setting aside places for children living beyond 2km, the scheme aims to broaden access and encourage a more diverse student mix, although Lee noted the outcome would ultimately depend on parents’ choices and other factors.

No fixed benchmark for ‘ideal’ social mix

NCMP Andre Low asked whether MOE would establish baseline indicators to measure socio-economic mixing and assess the outcomes of the two-track scheme.

Lee said there was no single benchmark for an “ideal” socio-economic mix because schools and neighbourhoods differ.

He added that MOE would monitor the socio-economic mix of schools, neighbourhood characteristics and broader trends as it reviews the implementation of the two-track system.

The system would also be “porous”, Lee said.

If places allocated to children living beyond 2km are not fully taken up, they can “flow back” to children living within 2km.

Parent volunteer scheme remains unchanged

There will also be no changes to the parent volunteer scheme, which provides an opportunity for parents to contribute to and get to know schools.

However, schools will continue to decide whether and how to implement the scheme based on their individual needs.

Lee said MOE had decided not to make structural changes to Phase 2A and Phase 2B for now, balancing the aim of widening access with recognising the contributions of alumni, school partners and community volunteers.

He added that there would also be no changes to the Phase 2A priority accorded to MOE Kindergarten pupils.

The revised Primary 1 registration framework will take effect from the 2027 Primary 1 registration exercise. — AsiaOne