Primary schools scrap parent volunteer scheme for P1 entry

In 2014, ST had reported that four schools under the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan – Tao Nan, Ai Tong, Nan Chiau Primary and Kong Hwa – stopped the scheme. St Anthony’s Canossian Primary in Bedok North had also done so.

Though the scheme had been scrapped in the four SHHK schools, parents can gain admission through their affiliation with the clan association. Similarly, parents who are baptised Catholics can register their children in Phase 2B for admission to Catholic schools.

Some parents told ST the parent volunteer scheme feels “transactional” – serving in exchange for a chance of admission – while not guaranteeing their child would secure a place.

NUS associate professor of sociology and anthropology Vincent Chua said removing the parent volunteer scheme will “help narrow the playing field at least a bit”. This will “stop time-privileged parents from being able to translate parental leisure time into premium educational access”, he added.

Not all parents can commit the time, he said. “For example, low-income parents have work shifts and schedules that will not afford time for volunteerism, or may be holding multiple jobs.”

But Chua noted that Phase 2B still contains other “closed-loop affiliations” such as clans and church associations. He also highlighted what he called “massive gatekeepers of inequality” in the other stages of P1 registration: one is alumni legacy in Phase 2A, which “passes institutional access down through the generations”.

The other is proximity rules in Phase 2C, which “has made it easier for children in wealthy neighbourhoods to gain entry into the popular schools there”. This, he said, has “quietly allowed luxury real estate to monopolise entry into popular public schools”.

Education Minister Desmond Lee had said in January that MOE is looking at how to increase the diversity of children in primary schools. He had acknowledged that giving priority through affiliation can result in a concentration of certain profiles of pupils.

Lee said the nature of the neighbourhood can affect diversity in schools, depriving children of the opportunity to mix with children from families across society. He said diversity and inclusiveness create opportunities for students to interact and learn from one another.

One mother, who declined to be named, secured a place in Rosyth School in 2026 for her son to enter in 2027 through Phase 2C. This stage is for those who do not enjoy any form of priority admission, and is based on proximity. The school is across the road from her home in Serangoon North, where the family has been living for nearly 10 years.

“It was a huge stone off my chest,” said the business manager, who has two sons aged four and six. “Morning logistics are no longer going to be a nightmare from next year.”

The 43-year-old had wanted to try for the over-subscribed school despite knowing her chances were low – she was among 120 applicants vying for 46 spots – because of the convenience.

Parents’ contributions to the school under the parent volunteer scheme should not have any bearing on their child’s chances of securing places, she said.

Yeo Shuhui, 44, who is a four-year-old daughter, is considering signing up as a parent volunteer for Yangzheng Primary, which is a 10-minute drive from her home in Serangoon.

She wants to try for Yangzheng as she has heard it has a “good school culture”.

Faith Foo, 35, and her husband, who have a five-year-old son, were accepted as parent volunteers for Princess Elizabeth Primary in Bukit Batok earlier in 2026.

In total, they need to clock 40 hours to be eligible for Phase 2B before P1 registration in 2027. Foo works as a lecturer in a tertiary institution while her husband is a project manager.

So far, Foo’s husband has clocked around five hours helping with stage support for a speech and drama performance in the school.

The couple is gunning for Princess Elizabeth as the school is a 10-minute walk from their flat. Princess Elizabeth in Bukit Batok was the most oversubscribed school in Phase 2C in 2026, with 159 children vying for 40 spots.

“All the other schools that we are looking at are unfortunately also oversubscribed,” she said, citing Nan Hua Primary in Clementi and Keming Primary in Bukit Batok.

Another parent, Kwa Lay Teng, 31, has decided against volunteering. The financial adviser hopes to enrol her daughter, now five, in Nan Hua Primary School, a five-minute walk from her home in Clementi.

She had heard from friends who did not get accepted as parent volunteers, and others who volunteered 80 hours and did not secure a place in the school.

She is also considering CHIJ Our Lady Queen Of Peace, a 15-minute drive from home, as she feels it focuses more on values rather than academics.

Kwa also fears her daughter may not be able to keep up in an overly academic-focused school, and her self-esteem will suffer. “She’s a very happy girl now and I don’t want her to lose that light.”

Changes have been made over the years to ensure that schools remain accessible to as many children as possible.

Since 2022, MOE has reserved 60 places for Phases 2B and 2C, which come after slots have been given to children with prior connections, like siblings or alumni parents.

Any vacancies remaining from earlier phases will be split, with one-third allocated to Phase 2B and two-thirds to Phase 2C.

The Primary 1 registration exercise is conducted in several phases.

Phase 1 is reserved for children whose siblings are currently studying in the school.

Phase 2A prioritises children whose parents and siblings are former pupils of the school, as well as parents who are members of its alumni association, staff or its advisory and management committees. This phase also grants entry to children who had attended the MOE Kindergarten tied to the desired school.

Phase 2B reserves placement for children whose parents volunteer with the school, or are active community leaders or members of school-affiliated organisations.

Finally, Phases 2C and 3 are open to all other applicants. Phase 2C is based on home-to-school distance.