P1 registration: 26 oversubscribed schools to hold Phase 2B ballot

Twenty-six out of 30 oversubscribed primary schools will conduct balloting for places in Phase 2B, the latest stage in the Primary 1 registration process.

At this point of the exercise in 2023, balloting was conducted for 30 schools.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) updated the registration figures on its website on July 25 for Phase 2B, which ended on July 23 at 4.30pm.

MOE said that 83.3 per cent of its schools will not be conducting balloting.

Holy Innocents’ Primary School in Hougang is the most oversubscribed school in Phase 2B, with 57 applicants vying for 20 spots.

The next two most oversubscribed schools are Ai Tong School in Bishan, which had 53 applicants and 20 vacancies, and Nan Chiau Primary School, which had 112 applicants and 44 vacancies.

All three schools will be conducting balloting for children who are Singapore citizens residing within 1km of the school.

Phase 2B is for parent volunteers at the school, those endorsed by the church or clan directly connected to the school, or those endorsed as active community leaders.

Results for this phase will be out on July 29.

Four schools are also oversubscribed but will not be holding a ballot because there are enough vacancies for all applicants up to a certain priority category.

These schools are Pasir Ris Primary School, South View Primary School, Red Swastika School and St Anthony’s Primary School.

St Anthony’s Primary has places only for Singapore citizen children and permanent resident (PR) children residing within 2km of the school.

MOE said that 83.3 per cent of its schools will not be conducting balloting.

Holy Innocents’ Primary School in Hougang is the most oversubscribed school in Phase 2B, with 57 applicants vying for 20 spots.

The next two most oversubscribed schools are Ai Tong School in Bishan, which had 53 applicants and 20 vacancies, and Nan Chiau Primary School, which had 112 applicants and 44 vacancies.

All three schools will be conducting balloting for children who are Singapore citizens residing within 1km of the school.

Phase 2B is for parent volunteers at the school, those endorsed by the church or clan directly connected to the school, or those endorsed as active community leaders.

Results for this phase will be out on July 29.

Four schools are also oversubscribed but will not be holding a ballot because there are enough vacancies for all applicants up to a certain priority category.

These schools are Pasir Ris Primary School, South View Primary School, Red Swastika School and St Anthony’s Primary School.

St Anthony’s Primary has places only for Singapore citizen children and permanent resident (PR) children residing within 2km of the school.

Red Swastika School and South View Primary have places only for Singapore citizen children residing within 2km of the school.

Pasir Ris Primary has places only for Singapore citizen children residing within 1km of the school.

In oversubscribed schools, priority admission is given to children in this order:

• Singapore citizen children living within 1km of the school
• Singapore citizen children living between 1km and 2km from the school
• Singapore citizen children living more than 2km from the school
• PRs living within 1km of the school
• PRs living between 1km and 2km from the school
• PRs living more than 2km from the school

Phase 2B has 20 reserved spots at each school, while the next phase, 2C, has 40 reserved spots.

These spots are reserved for children with no sibling currently in the school, or with no prior connection to the school.

From 2022, MOE has reserved 60 places for Phases 2B and 2C at the start of the Primary 1 registration exercise to ensure schools remain accessible to as many children as possible.

If there are vacancies left from earlier phases, one-third will be allocated to Phase 2B and two-thirds to Phase 2C.

MOE also noted there is a cap on the intake of PR children in a few schools during Phase 2C and 2C Supplementary.

Figures for Kranji Primary School were not available, as it is relocating to Tengah tentatively in 2028, and the school will not be admitting pupils to Primary 1 through the registration exercise from 2024 to 2026.

Registration for Phase 2C, which is open to children with no prior links to the schools, will open on July 30 at 9am, and close on Aug 1 at 4.30pm. Results for this phase will be out on Aug 13.