Consider removing the property proximity advantage in allocating Primary 1 places in schools 

[SINGAPORE] Raising a child in Singapore can cost a fortune. Many parents invest large sums to help their children excel academically and secure good career prospects.

Investments start early, with kids attending brand-name kindergartens and a host of enrichment classes.

In addition, many parents make sizeable investments to live close to a sought-after primary school so that their child might secure a place in the school.

They might buy a new or resale condominium home, purchase a resale Housing & Development Board (HDB) flat, or rent a unit near a popular primary school.

Different phases

The Primary 1 registration exercise for Singapore citizens and permanent residents (PRs) for mainstream schools is conducted over five phases: 1, 2A, 2B, 2C and 2C Supplementary.

Phase 1 is reserved for a child who has a sibling studying in the primary school.

Priority based on proximity to the school can matter, with admission under each phase based on a child’s citizenship and the home-school distance. A minimum of 20 places is reserved for phase 2B and 40 places for phase 2C.

The parents’ home address matters because of the way balloting is conducted when the number of applicants exceeds the school vacancies, which can happen in any phase.

Singapore citizens rank ahead of PRs. Among citizens, those living within 1 km of the school rank first, followed by those living between 1 and 2 km of the school, and then those residing outside 2 km of the school.

At some schools, a child who is a citizen needs to live within 1 km to have any chance of securing a Primary 1 spot under phases 2B and 2C.

Phase 2B is for a child whose parent:

• Is endorsed by the church or clan directly connected with the primary school;
• Is endorsed as an active community leader; or
• Has joined the primary school as a parent volunteer by a specified date and fulfilled the required hours of voluntary service to the school.

Phase 2C is open to children with no links to the said school.

Giving a child who lives near a primary school priority in admission certainly makes sense. Traffic congestion around a school is reduced when children walk to school. Also, a kid living near the primary school enjoys an easy commute to and from school.

For one, I enjoyed walking my daughter to school during her six years of primary school.

And for priority admission through the home-school distance category, requiring the child to reside at the address used for registration for at least 30 months is hardly onerous.

Fairness

However, is it fair, all else being equal, that children who live near sought-after primary schools have an edge over peers living further away in attending said schools?

If there is a good mix of public and private housing located near a sought-after primary school, both HDB and private housing occupants can leverage proximity to the school to secure a Primary 1 spot in the school.

Still, is it unfair that parents who get an HDB Build-To-Order (BTO) flat which is located near a sought-after primary school enjoy an advantage over those who did not secure a BTO flat near the said school?

Indeed, the question of equity arises when families with greater financial means can rent or buy a home near a popular school to raise the chances of their offspring attending the said school.

And the problem is exacerbated when a sought-after primary school is located in an area with largely private housing.

Arguably too, there is wastage when a family moves home to help their child snare a spot in a popular primary school.

Think of a family who is happy with their existing home incurring relocation or transaction costs to rent or buy a home near a sought-after primary school.

Worse, a family might see its investment in moving home go to waste when the child, despite living close to a primary school, fails to get into the said school. 

The Straits Times reported that 22 primary schools had to conduct balloting for children who are Singapore citizens residing within 1 km of the school in phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration exercise 2026. 

Having a six-year-old commute, say from a home in Pasir Ris to attend a well-established primary school located in the Bukit Timah area, might hardly sound like a good idea to many people.

Still, some parents, with their kids’ interest at heart, may be happy for their children to make long commutes to attend sought-after primary schools.

To make the allocation of Primary 1 school places fairer, consider ditching the priority given to applicants based on home-school distance.

In short, when allocating Primary 1 places across the various phases, give priority only based on a child’s citizenship status. And let all local kids in each phase have an equal shot at securing a coveted place regardless of where they live.

Trust parents to be sensible in choosing which primary school their child should try to attend, bearing in mind the commute to-and-from school.

Indeed, a child living outside 1 km of a school, whose home is near an MRT station, may find travelling to the said school, which is a few MRT stops away, extremely convenient.

Moreover, removing home-school distance as a criterion in allocating Primary 1 school spots can improve the socioeconomic mix of students in schools which are located close to mainly private homes.

Having to mull over moving home and whether one can afford to do so to help one’s child gain admission into a sought-after primary school adds to the stress of parenthood. Alleviating the stress that parents face in raising children may help to boost the birth rate.

Singapore’s birth rate has been plummeting. Still, despite the country’s low birth rate, competition for Primary 1 places in popular schools could remain intense as many parents invest heavily in their children’s education journey.

Regardless of whether one has young children, paying more to buy a home that is located near a sought-after primary school can make sense. Resale and rental demand for homes which are located near popular primary schools are supported by how Primary 1 places are allocated.

However, buyers willing to pay premiums for homes near sought-after primary schools should proceed with caution. In the quest for greater equity, perhaps priority in Primary 1 school admissions tied to home-school distance could be ditched.