We supply answers for parents who have burning questions about how to enrol their child in Primary school.
For parents, preparing their child for their milestone Primary school journey can be extremely stressful. Not only do they have to ensure that their little one has the basic skills to survive this new phase in their life, but are also academically equipped to keep up with their peers, and also socially-ready.
But before all this, parents have to tackle the daunting Primary 1 registration exercise ― often the cause of headache and anxiety for them. Registration for this year’s exercise, which starts tomorrow and ends on 30 October, will be conducted completely online, in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced.
Parent Ember Zhang, 39, recalls dealing with a lot of uncertainty when she registered her now Primary 1 son for school last year.
“I wanted to send my son to a Catholic school, but did not manage to get him through as a parent volunteer because the school doesn’t require them. I also did not have time to convert to Catholicism.”
Zhang’s son luckily got into her desired school based on home distance. But she went through a stressful two weeks while waiting for the results of the Phase 2C ballot.
You might still have many questions about school registration even if you don't have a desired school in mind. We address several frequently-asked ones, and share a few handy parent volunteering tips.
When should I register my child for Primary 1?
Your child must be at least 6 years old on 1 January at the year of admission to P1. So, the 2020 P1 Registration Exercise is for children born between 2 January 2014 and 1 January 2015 (both dates inclusive).
Can I register my child in more than one Primary school?
You can register your child in only one school at any particular registration phase ― MOE’s computer system can detect duplicate registrations. If you want to register your child at another school, you must withdraw your previous application.
You can register your child in only one school at any particular registration phase ― MOE’s computer system can detect duplicate registrations.
Can I use my parents’ home address to register my child at a school?
Yes, if your parent is your child’s official caregiver. You must make a declaration of alternative child-care arrangement for your child’s P1 registration to use their address (if they live within 2km of your desired school). The criteria for making a declaration is as follows:
* You and your spouse are both working full-time.
* Your child’s caregiver must be one of your parents or your sibling.
* The caregiver is currently looking after your child.
The declaration can only be made through an online form, which will be available from 29 June to 6 August 2020. One parent is required to submit an online declaration form and upload the relevant supporting documents. Do make your declaration early with a valid SingPass.
If a caregiver’s address is within 2km of the school, your child will be balloted together with others of the same citizenship living between 1km and 2km of the school. This is regardless of how close the caregiver’s address is to the school. By the way, if a caregiver’s address is used successfully for priority admission, your child is required to reside at the same address that was used for registration for at least 30 months from 1 July 2020.
If my child isn’t ready to enter Primary school, can I request a deferment?
MOE acknowledges that there are situations whereby a child may not be ready for formal schooling, perhaps because of a medical condition, delayed/slower progression or other circumstances. If parents wish to defer their child’s entry to Primary 1, they would need to submit a completed deferment application form to MOE’s Compulsory Education Unit.
You will need to make the application between January and September of the year before your child is due to commence Primary education. So, if your child is due to start P1 in 2021, you will need to apply for a deferment by September 2020.
Can I register my child using the address of a property that I’ve yet to move into?
Yes, you can register your child for Primary 1 using the address of a resale or a property that has yet to be completed. To use the address of an uncompleted property, you must provide the following documents:
* A copy of the original Sales and Purchase agreement for the private property.
* A print-out of the “New Flat” page from My HDBPage, if applicable.
Do note you must move into the new property within two years of your child’s entry into P1.
To use the address of a resale property, you must provide the following:
* An exercised Option-To-Purchase and buyer’s stamp duty certificate for private resale property.
* A printout of the Resale Flat Status from HDB Resale Portal, if applicable.
You’ll need to move into the registered resale property by 2 January of your child's P1 admission year.
How do I find out which schools are within 1km and 2km of my home?
To check the home-school distance category, parents can click here. Simply follow the steps below:
* Go to this page.
* Next, enter your address or postal code to see which schools are within 2km of your home.
* After selecting your address, click on “Show nearby schools” to display a list of “Schools within 1km” and “Schools between 1 and 2km” of your home.
How long do I need to live at the address used to register my child for Primary 1?
If your address is successfully used for priority admission, you must live there for at least 30 months from 1 July 2020. If you don’t meet this condition, your child may be transferred to another school with vacancies, as the basis for priority admission to the first school was the declared address used for registration.
I have already registered my child in a Primary school. I now wish to register my child in another school. What should I do?
If you have already secured a P1 place for your child in a previous registration phase, you will need to withdraw your place from the school before registering in another school. Use the same e-mail address provided in the application form to send an e-mail to the school your child has been admitted to in order to withdraw your child.
Do ensure that your have withdrawn you child successfully before submitting another online application. Unless you have withdrawn your child, MOE will not process any further online applications for them.
If your address is successfully used for priority admission, you must live there for at least 30 months from 1 July 2020.
What happens if I fail to get my child into a school in the final phases (2C and 2C Supplementary)?
If you fail to get your child into the school of choice at Phase 2C, consider putting them on the school’s waiting list. As other parents may withdraw their children for various reasons, your child might secure a place in that school.
If your child is unsuccessful at Phase 2C Supplementary, MOE will facilitate your child’s placement to a school with available vacancies.
Where can I learn about school-based student care centres (SCC) for my child?
MOE states that all Primary schools will have a school-based SCC by end this year. Find the current list of school-based Student Care Centres here. Do check with the school after your child has been admitted to learn more about the application procedure and enrolment criteria. You can also find out how to apply during orientation.
If you wish to consider another SCC near your home or your child’s school, check here for an MSF-registered one.
What about school bus options?
Ask your child’s Primary school to refer you to the school bus transport operator, who will advise you on which routes the school buses will ply, or check here. Refer to MOE’s School Bus services page for information on school bus fees.
Zhang has some advice on school buses, “Many parents think that they can easily opt for school bus transport, but the bus driver may not necessarily want to travel to your home, even if it’s within 2km of the school. You’ll need to check on the bus routes with the school bus operator.”
I am divorced ― how do I and my ex-spouse register our child for Primary 1?
For parents with joint custody, you will both need to agree on the choice of school for your child. Only one of you is required to register your child online.
You will need to:
* Upload a copy of the original Court Order setting out the custody arrangement.
* E-mail the letter of consent signed by the other parent to the preferred.
* Sign a letter of undertaking (LOU) to resolve disputes, if any. The LOU will be administered by the school after the P1 registration ends.
For parents with sole custody, you may register your child online. Simply:
* Upload a copy of the orginal Court Order setting out the custody arrangement.
* Sign a letter of undertaking (LOU) to resolve disputes, if any. The LOU will be administered by the school after the P1 registration ends.
As a divorcee, what happens if there are disagreements over which Primary school my child should attend?
Parents who cannot agree on a preferred school may approach the Family Justice Courts or the Syariah Court at least three months ahead of your child's P1 registration to apply for a Court Order. MOE will process the child’s registration based on the choices made by the parent authorised in the Court Order.
My child is not a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident (PR). How can my child seek admission to Primary 1?
International students can only register for Primary 1 in Phase 3. To register your child for Primary school as an international student, you would first need to have indicated your interest by filling up an online form by 8 June 2020.
Do keep in mind that an “indication of interest” is not considered registration. As there are limited vacancies remaining for non-Singapore Citizen/non-PR children, admission isn’t guaranteed. So, do consider alternative educational options, such as international/private schools, well ahead of time.
MOE will notify you via e-mail in October 2020 if your child has been offered a place in a Primary school. If you receive the offer, you will be informed as to how to register your child at the school.
Sign up as a parent volunteer with the preferred school at least a year before you need to register junior for Primary school. Although this isn't a secret, many parents often miss the deadline!
5 things to consider before you become a parent volunteer
Looking to get your child into the school of your choice? Check out these parent volunteer hacks.
* Sign up as a parent volunteer with the preferred school at least a year before you need to register junior for Primary school. Although this isn't a secret, many parents often miss the deadline!
* Do note that not all schools accept parent volunteers. For example, Catholic schools will give priority to Catholics to register in Phase 2B, regardless of home distance. No volunteering is required.
* Do check with your desired school as to how many hours they will require parent volunteers to put in. Most schools require 40 hours, but the really popular ones may require you to commit even more time. In order to enrol their daughter in a choice Methodist school, parent Michael Yeong, 50, says that his wife was required to do 60 hours of school volunteer work.
* Do bear in mind that while being a parent volunteer lets you register in Phase 2B, it still doesn’t guarantee your child a place in the school.
* Make sure your skillset is attractive as some schools are looking for certain skills/talents that can offer them value-add. Zhang cites friends who were accepted as parent volunteers as they had skills their choice schools were looking for.
She notes, “A friend who teaches football in his free time became a football coach volunteer. Another graphic designer friend designed school collaterals from home, yet still clocked the required hours. I also have a photographer friend who did photography for the school’s sports day and pupils’ excursions.”
Photos: iStock
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