The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced two changes to the Primary One (P1) registration system in Singapore.
Taking effect in 2018, manual balloting systems will be replaced by centralized tech systems, with SMS messages being sent to parents informing them of their child’s candidacy for schools.
In welcome news for principals, schools will no longer need to prepare their school halls for large numbers of stressed parents for the often-fraught P1 balloting process, with ballot procedures now taking place online.
While parents have publicly welcomed the changes, it is expected that that many principals are also breathing a sigh of relief, no longer having to deal with the stress of facing a room full of tense parents during manual balloting.
According to MOE, information on the number of applications received and the number of remaining vacancies in each school will continue to be made available on the MOE website. Principals can continue to direct parents to the MOE website for updates.
Computerized balloting has been used for several years for junior colleges and secondary schools.
In addition to the tech changes, the MOE has announced changes to the procedures for international student registrations for P1 places.
International students will now need to submit an online ‘indication of interest’ form via the MOE P1 website and wait for their offer.
Schools will need to accept in-person applications from international students during phase 3 of the P1 registration system.
The registration of children for admission to P1 classes in 2019 will be opened from 28 June 2018 to 31 October 2018.