Discover which primary schools in Singapore will require balloting after Phase 2A through our interactive map.
SINGAPORE: According to data released by the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Thursday (July 14), 33 primary schools were oversubscribed in Phase 2A of the Primary 1 registration exercise. Applications for Phase 2A closed at 4:30 PM last Friday, with the number of applications per school disclosed subsequently.
This year marks the first implementation of changes to the Primary 1 registration process, combining Phase 2A(1) and Phase 2A(2) into a single Phase 2A. A total of 33 schools saw oversubscription in this phase, a significant increase from the 17 schools oversubscribed after Phase 2A(2) last year.
Phase 2A is designated for children whose parent or sibling is a former student of the school, including alumni. It also includes children whose parent is a staff member or a member of the school advisory or management committee. Additionally, children who attended a MOE kindergarten located within the primary school can apply under this phase.
The primary school with the highest oversubscription in Phase 2A this year was Pei Hwa Presbyterian, which received 112 applications for 44 available spots. Gongshang Primary School had 116 applicants vying for 59 vacancies, while Rosyth Primary School received 113 applications for 73 spaces.
No Balloting for Five Oversubscribed Schools
Not all oversubscribed schools will require a ballot. There will be no ballot conducted for Nan Hua, Singapore Chinese Girls’, Wellington, Westwood, and Yu Neng primary schools. According to MOE’s website, Nan Hua and Westwood primary schools only have spots for Singaporean children residing within 2 km of the school. Singapore Chinese Girls’ and Yu Neng primary schools are limited to Singaporean children only, while Wellington Primary School has spaces exclusively for Singaporean children and permanent residents living within 1 km of the school.
Changes to the Registration Exercise
The recent changes to the Primary 1 registration process now reserve 40 spots in Phase 2C for each primary school, an increase from the previous 20 spots. Phase 2B will retain 20 spaces, totaling 60 spots set aside for the later phases of 2B and 2C. The combination of Phase 2A(1) and 2A(2) was made to ensure that all Phase 2A(2) applicants could continue to have a chance to register under Phase 2A, as stated by MOE.
Last year, five schools had no remaining spots after Phase 2A(1). The MOE explained that the increase in reserved places for Phase 2C aims to reduce the number of spots available in earlier phases, as maintaining a distinction between Phase 2A(1) and Phase 2A(2) registrants could result in many schools having few or no available spots for Phase 2A(2) registrants. This adjustment also supports the goal of prioritizing admission for children from MOE kindergartens, who were previously eligible only for Phase 2A(2).
For schools that still have spaces available after Phase 2A, one-third of the remaining vacancies will be allocated to Phase 2B and two-thirds to Phase 2C. All children registering under Phase 1, which is for those with a sibling already in the school, are guaranteed a spot. Registration for Phase 1 concluded on June 30.
Registration for Phase 2B is set to begin at 9 AM on July 19 and will close at 4:30 PM on July 20. This phase is open to children whose parent volunteered at the primary school no later than July 1, having contributed at least 40 hours of service by June 30. Additionally, children whose parent is a member endorsed by the church or clan associated with the primary school, as well as those whose parent is recognized as an active community leader, can also apply during Phase 2B.
