What it would take for a fairer P1 registration system - and whether parents have the stomach for it

Recent tweaks to the Primary 1 registration exercise have revived a debate over whether the system could be made even fairer and further encourage social mixing. CNA takes a look at what bolder reforms could look like – and why they are easier said than done.

Singapore’s Primary 1 registration system will change from the 2027 exercise, with most schools reserving 60 places—up from 40—for Phase 2C applicants who have no prior connection to the school. Twelve schools will also introduce a two-track system, dividing Phase 2C places equally between children living within and beyond 2km.

The changes are intended to widen access and encourage greater social mixing. However, educators and advocates told CNA that deeper reforms may be needed if children’s admission prospects are to depend less on their parents’ connections, time and resources.

Associate Professor Jason Tan from the Policy, Curriculum and Leadership Department at the National Institute of Education described the existing system as complex and potentially “unwieldy”, as it attempts to serve multiple policy objectives. These include supporting families with siblings in the same school, sustaining alumni and community ties, and encouraging parent volunteering and grassroots involvement.

A/P Tan noted that the framework also lends itself to parental strategising, as families navigate its different phases to secure the greatest possible advantage for their children. Although parents may recognise inequalities arising from alumni links, volunteering or residential proximity, they may still use these routes rather than disadvantage their own child.

He expects reforms to remain incremental in the near term. Phase 2C places have progressively increased from 20 to 40 and now 60, while earlier changes included merging Phases 2A1 and 2A2. More extensive reform remains socially and politically sensitive because families may have planned housing, volunteering and other major decisions around established rules.

A/P Tan observed that once certain privileges have been introduced, removing them can be difficult. Any redesign must therefore clarify what Primary 1 registration should ultimately achieve and how competing claims involving proximity, family ties, community contribution, fairness and social mixing should be balanced.

Read the original article from Channel NewsAsia here.