P1 registration: More Phase 2C places from 2027; 12 schools to keep spots for kids living farther away

SINGAPORE – More Primary 1 places will be reserved for children without prior connections, as part of efforts to widen access to schools and improve social mixing.

From the next registration exercise in 2027, 60 spots will be set aside for this group of children in Phase 2C, up from the current 40. This will not apply to schools with smaller Primary 1 intakes of fewer than 180 pupils. Based on the 2026 registration data, 27 out of 179 primary schools were of this size.

Twelve schools in areas like Bukit Timah, Newton and Marine Parade, with a lower proportion of public housing, will also set aside spots in Phase 2C for children who live more than 2km away, to ensure access to a more diverse mix of applicants.

This is the stage for those who do not qualify for the earlier stages of admission, which give priority to children of alumni and other connections.

Announcing these changes on Sept 10, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said it had identified 12 schools in neighbourhoods where public housing makes up less than 40 per cent of homes within a 2km radius.

Applying home-school distance priority to these schools may not substantially broaden access for children from different socio-economic backgrounds, it said.

As such, these 12 schools will split the 60 reserved places in Phase 2C into two tracks. This means 30 spots will be reserved for those who live within 2km of the school, and the remaining 30 will be for those who live even farther away.

Within each of the two tracks, how far a child lives from the school will not be considered.

The 12 schools are: Anglo-Chinese School (ACS) (Junior); ACS Primary; CHIJ (Katong) Primary; Methodist Girls’ School (Primary); Nanyang Primary School; Ngee Ann Primary School; Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School; Raffles Girls’ Primary School; Singapore Chinese Girls’ Primary School; St Margaret’s School (Primary); Tanjong Katong Primary School; and Tao Nan School.

This move is meant to maintain access for a share of pupils living nearby while opening the schools up to those living farther away.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said the changes – a result of MOE’s review of the Primary 1 registration framework – aim to broaden access to primary schools and enable greater mixing among pupils from different backgrounds as they learn together.

“Our schools are shared spaces. They are where our children form their friendships, where they understand different perspectives and find common ground,” he said.

With the upcoming changes, he said that about one in four places in a typical primary school with about 240 vacancies will be open to children regardless of whether they have prior connections to the school.

He added that whether the 12 identified schools will see greater diversity also depends on other factors, such as parents’ preferences and school choices.

While most primary schools comprise pupils from diverse backgrounds, MOE said some schools have a narrower socio-economic mix because of the demographics of their immediate neighbourhoods.

“This is partly due to the current home-school distance priority in the P1 Registration Framework, where priority is determined by citizenship, followed by home-school distance, when balloting is required,” it said in a statement.

Lee said the conversations during the review showed broad agreement that primary schools should remain open and accessible to families from different backgrounds. But there were different views on how to achieve this, with a range of ideas put forward.

This included reducing the weight given to home-school distance, doing away with distance priority altogether, and even completely redesigning the admission system so that children are automatically allocated to schools.

Said Lee: “There are different considerations that we have to balance with every change that we make. For example, we know that parents value a school that’s near home, particularly for young children, and it’s more convenient for siblings to attend the same school together.

“Alumni and community members contribute to their school and to the wider community. They preserve the school’s heritage and ethos, and they contribute to the community. And we do appreciate their efforts and their contributions.”

MOE said that the past changes to the Primary 1 registration framework implemented in 2014 and 2022 have improved access across all schools for children without prior ties, especially those living nearby.

In 2014, 20 places were reserved for Phase 2C in every primary school. In 2022, this was doubled to 40.

Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) is one of the 12 schools.

PHOTO: ST FILE

Lee said the ministry will track the registration outcomes of the latest round of measures and make further changes where needed.

“In doing so, we will continue to seek to balance the different considerations involved, including sibling priority, proximity between home and school, alumni ties, as well as contributions to community,” he said.

Tao Nan School principal Poh Qinyu said the two-track scheme can give families living beyond the school’s immediate neighbourhood a more realistic chance to secure a place, should they feel the school is a good fit for their child.

“A wider catchment may also bring together students from more diverse backgrounds, enriching their primary school experience through greater exposure to different perspectives and experiences,” she added.

While the new measures may not foster a greater mix of students overnight, Methodist Girls’ School principal Pamela Yoong said the changes are meaningful steps towards ensuring that schools remain accessible and are reflective of the broader community.

Said Yoong: “Learning and growing alongside peers from different backgrounds during students’ primary school years can be one of the most formative experiences of their childhood, shaping how they see and engage with the world around them.”