“Absolute priority” for Singapore citizens in P1 registration

Mums, are you ready for this? The Ministry of Education announced on Sunday that Singapore citizens will get “absolute priority” over permanent residents (PRs) when registering for Primary One (whenever balloting comes into play), starting this year.

What this means?

Whenever applications are more than available spaces, vacancies will be handed to citizens instead of PRs in that phase. As reported, indeed both PR and citizens will be made eligible for the same phases. When the new policy starts, PRs and citizens will not be balloted together. In the existing policy, citizens receive two ballot slips for each one received by a permanent resident.

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Excerpt from the MOE press release

“Under the existing P1 Registration Framework, vacancies are allocated by ballot if the number of applications exceeds the vacancies at a school during that particular registration phase, based on home-school distance categories. Since the 2010 P1 Registration Exercise, each SC child has been given two ballot slips, while each PR child has been given one when balloting occurs.

To further differentiate SCs and PRs, from the 2012 P1 Registration Exercise onwards, when balloting is necessary in a specific phase, SCs will be given absolute priority over PRs. SCs and PRs will continue to be eligible for the same phases, and all applicants will be admitted if the total number of applicants in any phase does not exceed the number of vacancies in a specific phase, SCs will be admitted first ahead of the PRs, before home-school distance is considered.”

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Mums and dads, we would like to know how you feel about this new ruling. Tell us below…

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Written by

Felicia Chin

singaporep1 registration