Update on Review of Primary 1 Registration Framework
Ministry of EducationSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns inquiries raised by Members of Parliament regarding proposed revisions to the Primary 1 Registration Framework. Ms Gho Sze Kee, Ms Elysa Chen, Ms Tin Pei Ling, and Mr David Hoe questioned home-school distance benchmarks, reviews of Phase 2A and Parent Volunteer schemes, and whether the framework's implementation could be deferred by one year. They also asked about reserving Phase 2C places for children residing in public rental or smaller flat types, as well as examining transport costs and travel times under the Phase 2C Two-Track Scheme. Additionally, Members sought clarity on whether future scheme reviews would factor in socio-economic accessibility, peer relationships, and sense of belonging. In response, Minister Desmond Lee stated that the Ministry of Education would provide an oral answer addressing these Parliamentary Questions together at the next available opportunity.
Transcript
28 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has a planning benchmark for what constitutes a reasonable travel time or distance between home and school for primary school pupils; and (b) what proportion of pupils in an area will be expected to have access to a primary school within that benchmark.
29 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Education as schools discontinue Phase 2B parent volunteer schemes (a) whether the Ministry expects registration pressure to shift toward Phase 2A, which similarly favours alumni, Ministry of Education (MOE) Kindergarten enrolment, and staff ties; and (b) whether Phase 2A criteria will be reviewed alongside Phase 2B.
30 Ms Gho Sze Kee asked the Minister for Education whether, as part of the Ministry's review of the Primary 1 Registration Framework, the Parent Volunteer Scheme will be reviewed in its entirety, including if schools should retain any discretion in its implementation or a common and standardised approach should apply across all schools.
31 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Education whether the changes to the Primary 1 Registration Framework can be deferred by one year to allow families who made significant and long-term decisions based on the existing framework to transition or adjust accordingly.
34 Ms Elysa Chen asked the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will consider reserving a proportion of places under Phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration exercise for children residing in public rental flats, and smaller flat types, such as 2-room flats, in place of or alongside the Two-Track distance criterion announced on 10 September 2026; and (b) if not, why not.
35 Mr David Hoe asked the Minister for Education in relation to the Phase 2C Two-Track Scheme (a) whether the Ministry will study if distance-related considerations, including school bus costs and journey times, affect applications from families living further away; and (b) whether future reviews of the Scheme will consider accessibility across socio-economic backgrounds, sense of belonging, and peer relationships, beyond admissions outcomes.
Mr Desmond Lee: The Ministry of Education will provide an oral answer to this Parliamentary Question (PQ), together with other PQs that have been filed on this topic, at the next available opportunity. [Please refer to "Distance, School Affiliation and Social Mixing Considerations in New Revisions to Primary 1 Registration Framework", Official Report, 7 October 2026, Vol 96, Issue 39, Oral Answers to Questions section.]