Primary One Admission Based on Active Community Participation

34 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Education (Schools) for each Primary 1 registration exercise in 2015 and 2016 (a) how many children have gained admission under the priority for Primary 1 registration based on active community leadership by the child's parents; and (b) how many children have gained admission based on this priority for schools whose Primary 1 places have been entirely taken up by the end of Phase 2B except the bare minimum of 20 places left for Phase 2C and what percentage of the total places offered in these schools does this figure represent.

Mr Ng Chee Meng: Phase 2B of Primary 1 (P1) registration is open to children of active community leaders, parent volunteers and endorsed members of religious groups or clans that are directly connected with the school.

For the past two years, the proportion of children admitted in Phase 2B has remained constant at around 6% of the P1 cohort. The active community leader scheme formed less than 1% of the P1 cohort. The vast majority of Phase 2B places went to children of parent volunteers and endorsed members of religious groups or clans that are directly connected to the school.

In the 2015 P1 registration exercise, all schools had more than 20 places available at Phase 2C. In the 2016 P1 registration exercise, all schools except one, had more than 20 places for Phase 2C. For the lone school that had 20 places for Phase 2C, 1% of its P1 cohort was admitted based on the active community leader scheme.