Schools conduct balloting for Phase 2C of Primary 1 registration exercise

90 Primary Schools conducted balloting exercises under Phase 2C for Primary One Registration this morning.

Of these, 22 conducted balloting for Permanent Residents. 

Phase 2C is open to ALL children who are eligible for Primary One next year, and are not yet registered in a school. 

This is also the first year that a new ruling gives Singapore citizens absolute priority in balloting over Permanent Residents. 

It was an anxious morning for many parents arriving at Nan Chiau Primary School. 

"A little bit nervous because it's our first time." 

The school is the most hotly contested in the Sengkang area. 

Singaporean parents living within one kilometre of the school had an almost one in three chance to secure a place for their child. 

There were 180 children registered and only 59 vacancies available.

Three new schools will be opened in the Sengkang area next year. 

But many parents say they picked Nan Chiau Primary because of its reputation and proximity to their homes. 

Some parents came out all smiles.

"I'm very happy and excited actually for my daughter. I just came back from night shift to go through all this process." 

Others were left disappointed.

"My house is just 10 metres away from the school, the MOE should reconsider the requirement of one kilometre, so they should consider half a kilometre first. My daughter's mother tongue is tamil, so this is the only school near to my house having Tamil, the new school doesn't have Tamil at all."

Many parents also welcomed the move to give priority to Singapore citizens. 

"It really helped us a lot as Singaporeans,knowing that we are given a so-called priority in the choice. If not, there'll be even more people coming into ballot." 

And Nan Chiau is one of many schools facing fierce competition under this Phase of registration. 

Rulang Primary School in Jurong West was the most highly contested in Singapore. 

It saw 60 registered children vying for 10 places.

Over in Jurong West, Westwood Primary School conducted balloting for Permanent Residents who lived within one kilometre of the school. 

It is the only new school that had to conduct balloting. 

There will be seven new schools opening next year. 

Balloting was conducted at Xingnan Primary School as Westwood Primary School will only be ready by end November. 

The school received 267 applicants for 240 places. 

233 of the applicants are Singapore citizens. 

There were only 7 vacancies left for PRs. 

And 34 PRs who lived within 1 kilometre of the school then had to ballot for the places.

The odds - almost one in five in getting a place. 

"Of course Singaporeans will always stand a better chance. They have to because it's not right if we sideline them and you give us more priority. But I just felt we should be given a little more consideration, little more percentage with admission. A little more, we're just asking."

Principal of Westwood Primary School, Mr Ng Yeow Ling, attributed its popularity to its outreach efforts. 

"We have done what we think are best to engage the parents, the public, in our community engagement programme, and based on some of these feedback, I think parents are wanting to find out more on what this new school has to offer, at the same time, giving us an opportunity to work with their kids. And we assure parents that although we are new, but we will have a group of very dedicated teachers." 

The second last phase of registration (phase 2C supplementary) will begin next week.

-By Olivia Siong