Primary 1 registration changes could cut Phase 2A places at some popular schools by a fifth or more

Each phase has its own policy goal – Phase 2A retains school culture, Phase 2B recognises volunteer contributions and Phase 2C preserves open access, she said. 

But Singapore should question whether these goals are for the Primary 1 registration process to accomplish, she added. 

For example, parents can be engaged through parent support groups for those whose children are already in the school and alumni engagement is not necessarily the only way to preserve school culture, she said. 

Even if these goals are attached to the Primary 1 registration process, the question is whether the scheme is achieving them, said Asst Prof Ho. 

Some alumni send their children to their alma mater because it is safer and more convenient to avoid balloting in the riskier Phase 2C, she added. 

“⁠For some parents, it may be about getting ahead in the system rather than preserving school culture,” she said. 

The changes implemented by MOE over the years are moving towards opening up access to schools, added Asst Prof Ho. 

But making more radical moves may be challenging because society is still used to the idea that if you are an alumnus of a school, your children are entitled to a place, she said.