Primary 1 registration for 2021 moves online, MOE introduces cap on intake of PR children

SINGAPORE: Registration for next year’s Primary 1 admissions will move fully online, and will introduce a cap on the intake of children who are permanent residents (PRs), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said.

The registration exercise will take place from Jul 1 to Oct 30, the ministry said in a press release on Wednesday (May 27).

In light of the COVID-19 situation, there will be no in-person registration at schools this year. Instead, parents will be required to register their children online.

CAP ON INTAKE OF PR CHILDREN

With effect from this year's Primary 1 registration exercise, a cap of 25 to 30 per cent will be introduced on some schools' intake of PR children.

"This is to prevent any concentration of PR children in our primary schools, provide a more conducive environment to encourage interaction between SC (Singapore citizen) and PR children, and facilitate the integration of PR children into Singapore," MOE said.

READ: P1 admission: Priority given for proximity but balance needed, says MOE

The cap will only apply to Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary, which are for children who are eligible for Primary 1 next year and have not yet registered in the earlier phases. 

The majority of primary schools and PR children are not affected by the new cap, as their past patterns of PR admissions have been well below 25 to 30 per cent, MOE said.

This year, the cap will take effect in 10 schools whose recent patterns of PR admissions are close to 25 to 30 per cent of Primary 1 enrollment.

They are: Bukit Timah Primary School, Bukit View Primary School, Changkat Primary School, Greendale Primary School, Marymount Convent School, North Spring Primary School, Opera Estate Primary School, Pioneer Primary School, Tanjong Katong Primary School and Xingnan Primary School.

At the start of Phase 2C on Aug 3 and Phase 2C Supplementary on Aug 19, MOE will publish the maximum number of vacancies available to PR children for these 10 schools on the ministry's website. 

"(Singapore citizen) children will continue to be given priority over PR children if the number of registrants exceed the number of vacancies in any registration phase, including Phase 2C and 2C Supplementary," MOE said.

"This means that (Singapore citizens) will always be allocated a place first. If there are vacancies remaining, PRs will then be considered, and subject to the cap on PR intake if there is such a cap for the school."

For future registration exercises, MOE will review and publish the list of schools that will have a cap on their intake of PR children.

"This is to enable parents of PR children to make an informed choice and consider registering their child in other nearby schools if they wish to," the ministry said.

READ: Choosing a primary school: What some parents think

READ: Manual balloting for Primary 1 registration to be replaced by computerised process

ONLINE REGISTRATION

Changes will be made to the mode of registration for Phases 2A(1), 2A(2) and 2B, while other phases remain largely unaffected, MOE said.

Phase 2A(1), which takes place on Jul 7, is for children whose parents are alumni members or members of the school's advisory or management committee.

Phase 2A(2), from Jul 14 to 15, is for children whose parents or siblings are former students of the school, children of staff members of the school, and children who are currently in the MOE kindergarten co-located within the school.

Phase 2B, from Jul 23 to 24, is for children whose parents are volunteers, members of the church or clan directly connected to the school, or endorsed as an active community leader.

Parents applying for these phases are required to submit an online form using their SingPass. The online form and a user guide will be available on the MOE Primary 1 registration website during the respective registration phases.

Phase 1, for children who have siblings currently studying in the same school, will take place from Jul 1 to Jul 2. Parents will receive and be required to submit the application form and relevant documents to the school via email.

For Phase 2C and Phase 2C Supplementary, parents should use the existing P1 Internet System to register.

READ: Parents falsifying address for P1: Children in such cases could be transferred, MOE says

Parents who wish to register their child using the address of the child’s grandparent or the parent’s sibling should declare the alternative childcare arrangement by completing an online form, instead of submitting their declaration at MOE’s customer service centre.

The ministry also advised parents to set up their SingPass two-factor verification early and ensure that their SingPass account is valid before the start of the registration exercise.

Those who require assistance during registration may contact the school of their choice via email or telephone on the respective registration days between 9am and 4.30pm.