Proposal to Review Alumni Priority Admission Scheme for Primary 1 Registration
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Ms Rahayu Mahzam’s inquiry into reviewing the Primary 1 alumni priority admission scheme and increasing reserved places for non-alumni students. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung responded that the current framework balances various factors including parental ties, home-school proximity, and voluntary contributions. He noted that since 2014, 40 places in every school have been reserved for Phases 2B and 2C to ensure schools remain accessible to those without prior connections. Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung stated that the Ministry will monitor the impact of these existing measures before deciding on further refinements to the system. He also emphasized that the Ministry resources all schools with quality teachers and facilities to ensure a holistic education for every student regardless of their school.
Transcript
24 Ms Rahayu Mahzam asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the alumni priority admission scheme for Primary 1 will be reviewed; (b) whether a higher proportion of admission places can be reserved for non-alumni related students in primary schools; and (c) whether in the current system, parents who are alumni members and active contributors have priority over parents who are just dormant alumni members.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: The current Primary 1 (P1) Registration Framework reflects a careful consideration of factors, such as siblings already studying in the school, parental ties to the school, proximity between the school and homes, various forms of voluntary contributions to the school and the community. Each is a valid justification for admission on a priority basis.
Like all other policies, MOE reviews the P1 registration framework periodically, and has refined the system over the years after taking into account feedback. The last significant change was for the 2014 P1 Registration Exercise, when we reserved 40 places in every school for registrants in Phase 2B and 2C. This ensures that all schools remain open to children with no prior connections to the school. We will monitor the effects of these changes before deciding if further refinements should be made.
MOE will continue to resource all our schools with well-trained teachers, invest in suitable education facilities, and provide support for good school programmes, so that all students can receive a good quality and holistic education, regardless of the school which he or she attends.