P1 Registration 2018 Singapore: MOE Kindergarten kids to get priority in co-located primary schools!

In his National Day Rally speech, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had announced that the number of MOE Kindergartens would be increased from 15 to 50 over the next 5 years. Also, all new MOE Kindergartens will be co-located with primary schools. 

And now there’s more news regarding MOE kindergartens.

• The Ministry of Education, Singapore (MOE) has just announced that MOE Kindergarten (MK) kids will get more priority in co-located primary schools, in a pilot scheme starting from P1 Registration 2018.

It means that this applies to MK children participating in the 2018 Primary 1 Registration Exercise, for 2019 Primary 1 admission. 

• 12 MOE kindergartens will be involved in this exercise. They are:

  MOE Kindergarten  (MK)                           Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Northoaks              Northoaks Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Riverside                Riverside Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol Green      Punggol Green Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Punggol View        Punggol View Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Sengkang Green    Sengkang Green Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Springdale              Springdale Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Blangah Rise          Blangah Rise Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Farrer Park             Farrer Park Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Dazhong                  Dazhong Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Frontier                   Frontier Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ West Spring            West Spring Primary School
  MOE Kindergarten @ Westwood               Westwood Primary School

Please note that, the community-based MK@Fernvale Link and MK@Yishun will transit to school-based MKs, that is, MK@Fern Green and MK@Huamin in 2019 and 2020 respectively, and the K2 students in these new school-based MKs will also enjoy Phase 2A2 eligibility for P1 admissions in the 2019 and 2020 P1 registration exercises respectively.

• These MOE Kindergarten children can apply for P1 admission in the Phase 2A2 (ahead of Phase 2B).

Previously, Phase 2A2 was reserved for children whose parents or siblings have studied in the school, and whose parents are staff members of the school.

Please check picture below for new phase priority:

SOURCE: MOE

• Why more priority for MK Kids?: According to the MOE, there are developmental benefits in facilitating this transition for MK children.

Allowing them to remain in a familiar physical, social and educational environment for their primary school education will help smoothen their transition to Primary 1.

Also, since there is a close partnership between the MK and the primary school, the school would also be more familiar with the needs of the MK children, and can more quickly ensure that they have the necessary developmental support when they enter Primary 1.

• Will non-MK children be left out and suffer?: This is probably the biggest worry in parents’ minds.

However, MOE has clarified that, “As a commitment to ensure open access to all primary schools, MOE will continue to ensure a minimum of 40 places in every primary school at Phases 2B and 2C.”

Also, primary schools that do not have MOE kindergartens will continue to be unaffected by this new priority.

Also READ: More parents opting for MOE kindergartens in Singapore!

(Source: MOE)