In Singapore, this is how the P1 registration phase works:
Each phase is further breakdown into distance between house and school: within 1km, 1-2km, >2km.
Eligibility
|
Primary One
Registration Phase
|
For children who are
|
Phase 1
For a child who has a sibling studying in the primary school of choice |
Phase 2A(1)
(a) For a child whose parent is a former student of the primary school and
who has joined the alumni association as a member not later than 30 June
2012.(b) For a child whose parent is a member of the School Advisory / Management Committee |
|
Phase 2A(2)
(a) For a child whose parent or sibling has studied in the primary school
of choice(b) For a child whose parent is a staff member of the primary school of choice |
|
Phase 2B
(a) For a child whose parent has joined the primary school as a parent
volunteer not later than 1 July 2012 and has given at least 40 hours of
voluntary service to the school by 30 June 2013(b) For a child whose parent is a member endorsed by the church/clan directly connected with the primary school (c) For a child whose parent is endorsed as an active community leader |
|
Phase 2C
For all children who are eligible for Primary One in the following year
and are not yet registered in a primary school |
|
Phase 2C Supplementary
For a child who is not yet registered in a school after Phase 2C |
|
For children who are not
|
Phase 3
For a child who is neither a |
Example:
If I belong and register under Phase 2B after doing parents volunteering work:
At time of vacancies available under Phase 2B = 30
Total number of registration under Phase 2B = 55 (breakdown as below):
Within 1km = 25
1-2km = 10
>2km = 20
All those under 'within 1km' will enter the school successfully. Balloting will start for those under 1-2km and 10 people fighting for 5 seats. >2km? Sayounara! Those balloted out and stay >2km will have to register in another school or register again in the same school for Phase 2C which usually will end up balloting again if demand > supply. The same procedure apply in all phases.
For past history records, all schools under phase 1, 2A1 and 2A2 require no balloting and all registrants will successfully enter the school. Balloting usually starts at 2B onwards for those rather popular schools.
Ok............So............
Lately we had been pretty headache regards to the choice of primary school for EC. Since last year, I had been monitoring the trend in forums and MOE website during the P1 registration period. It starts between June-Aug period every year.
Since I had a pair of twins entering P1 together in the same year same time, I am really trying to avoid any balloting risks because if I did not get balloted, I had to find those balance schools with vacancy enough for 2 pax in the last stage 2C Supplementary if I wouldn't get a school in phase 2B or 2C.
Parents volunteering work to get into phase 2B is also something I want to avoid. I feel the school wants to cheat away our free services for something not guaranteed in return. For popular schools, mostly phase 2B will end up balloting and some parents who did 40-80 hours of services with the school did not end up with a seat for their child as they were balloted out.
So the only choice is trying to get into Phase 2A1/2A2. Phase 1 is out since EC are the eldest children. When it comes to Andre's turn, I will have no headache as he will successfully enter the same school under Phase 1 with EC still in the school.
We are considered lucky because Hui and my school are still up and running strong compared to other friends whose primary school had already closed down. So this makes us falls under 2A1 if we join the school alumni paying a fee or 2A2 as ex-students but not alumni.
Now here comes the hard part!
- Maha Bodhi school at Ubi (ranked top 20, partial single session - P1/2 afternoon session) OR
- Nan Hua primary at Clementi (ranked top 10, single session - all morning session)
Distance between home and school is actually my first concern when comes to primary school. Of course, there's still the popularity (ranking), logistic plans, chances of getting in that have to put into considerations too. Both our schools are SAP school and had very good reviews of nurturing top students. SAP schools focus a lot on chinese language and culture and theses schools offer Higher Chinese starting P1. Such schools are actually my girls' nemesis because they are 'Jiak Gan Tang' (eat potato aka dun like/speak chinese)!
Last year 2012, we were almost fix to choose NHP because it is just within 1km to my mum's place. I have to do a statutory declaration with MOE first to use my mum's address at point of registration in order to be under "within 1km" category. So the logistic plan will be us staying over at mum's place from Mon-Fri and go back our own home every Friday night to Sunday. Sunday night we will be back at Clementi again so the girls can go school on Monday easily. This plan will continue till our house reach 5 years from date of purchase and we are able to purchase a flat at West side (hopefully near mum's). Andre will also has his pre-school education at a school nearby mum's. Hui kept asking me to join the alumni in order for us to move up one level under 2A1 but I refused. Reason being we are not really 100% firm on this plan and things might change when it's time for us to register P1 in 2014, especially our house is still in Hougang now. Also base on past history, Phase 2A2 had equal chance of entering successfully without balloting too and mum's house is within 1km which means we have highest priority in this phase 2A2.
This plan was brought up again for discussion this year at around the same time because of this year P1 registration. Few weeks ago, a second option was raised by mum which now causes a big headache because both options have it's pros and cons (Luckily I insisted not to join NHP alumni)!
I need a third party opinion!!!
Option #1: Per the plan as in 2012 above.
Option #2: Totally the opposite. Mum move over to stay at our house Sunday night - Fri, go back home Friday night or Sat morning.
CONS:
MBS is like a 10km drive from our house. If the kids were to take school bus, they could be the first-in-last-out situation. This is the main point that keep me thinking and thinking if it's worth to have this option as I feel spending a lot of time in the bus is a totally waste of time which can be replace with more sleeping hours and doing homework or relaxing at home!
Hui did mention I could be the "bus driver" to send and fetch them from school since I work from home. But what if I need to go back office? What if I had conference calls during that certain hour. Also not to forget Andre's preschool which we plan to enroll him with Kinderland@serangoon (if we choose this plan) requires me to send/pick him up from school too. If I can't, mum will have to take a straight bus 101 to help me fetch him. Then what about EC if mum is out of the house? MBS is afternoon session for P1 and P2. Class starts 12.20pm to 6.20pm. Kinderland starts 8am to 11am. Also CCA for MBS starts in the morning for those in afternoon session. Looking at this plan, if I am the one to be the chauffeur for everybody, the whole morning I will be damn busy with the kids and no time to work at all! And sometimes I do have calls at 7pm which I will not be in time to fetch EC because Ubi area is always jam especially after office hours. Then what if I decided to change job which requires me to be in office and not working from home anymore? Or maybe Andre go childcare instead? Still many open discussion and things to plan here.
PROS:
The plus point would be we need not worry about moving house 2 years down the road, which involve again a huge amount of $$ for renovations. Clementi is such a matured estate, the price of the flat will definitely be more than what I sell from current flat. Also we have a lot of friends/Hui's family staying at the East/NE area which is quite convenient for any gathering and visits. Mum intend to rent out one of the room to earn some passive income if we go with this plan so she had more pocket money to spent and save. These points are the reason why we are keeping this option open too.
If you were me, which option would you choose?
(Hui actually prefers option #2)
0 comments:
Post a Comment