P1 Registration and Priority Channels

The phenomena of parents going to great lengths to get their children into their primary school of choice is a common one in Singapore. Some feel that it is unnecessary stress while others feel that getting this important first step right would hugely determine the trajectory of their child’s education journey.

An article in Today’s recent ‘The Big Read’ covered this very topic and has been causing some buzz. The excellent article comprehensively covers the many challenges and complexities of the Primary 1 admission exercise, and I highly recommend taking the time to read it if you haven’t already.

Problem of Placement

Whether a parent decides to play the game or not, it’s really a personal choice. However, I would advise that we be careful that collaboration does not become exploitation. Parent volunteers are not employees of the school, and both we and the school need to be mindful of that fact.

We should also take care not to place any unfair expectations on our children to perform academically because of the sacrifices that we have made for their school admission. There should be no correlation between the two and it’s just a recipe for parent-child relationship disaster.

For parents who would rather depend on the proximity of their homes to the school, the good news is that the number of allocated slots will be doubled to 40 in 2022.

Problem of Perception

As much as I would like to believe it, I think it would be too naïve to say that every school is a good school. Different schools, especially at the primary level, have different cultures, types and levels of disciplines, niche CCAs, academic foci and student enrichment programmes; and depending on what you value, different schools may be perceived as better or worse.

Personally, I believe the biggest factors for a child to succeed in primary school are peer relationships, teacher expectations and parental support – the first one being my most important consideration for school choice.

Problem of Preference

Though it would solve the root of the issue, it would be impossible for all parents to not have any preference for any school for their child. Some schools, usually by reputation, are just generally more desirable than others.

As long as there are preferences for certain schools, there will always be a demand, which necessitates a system to meet that demand. At the heart of it all, it’s not just a systemic problem, it’s a social one.

What Really Matters

Honestly, I don’t think I’m changing any minds with this article. These priority channels will still be in place for decades to come. We, as parents, would still have our preferences, and we’d still take advantage of those channels if we can, even if it doesn’t guarantee our children a place.

At the end of the day, I think the most important thing is to get our children into a school where we know they will have a great experience learning. A school where the friends they make will last for a lifetime, the teachers they encounter will teach them to love and live life well, and the classrooms they sit in will always be a happy memory.