P1 Registration

I have been hearing stories of parents registering for their P1 kids. As usual, typical singaporeans who will do anything to get their kids into good school. No doubt I do agree that a good environment will nuture the kid into a good citizen, personally, I always believe in character that comes with the kid.

Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to shape a kid, they resist and have their own kind of tots. I am not saying if you create an environment good enough, the kid will follow. There are times which it is proven wrong. No doubt this is a minority, the in born character is there. It is a matter of time. When something happen, it trigger something off the mind of the kid, and wala. No u-turn.

Look at this. Pictures that we always see on Stomp.





I believe they are also good kids in the beginning. Probably in a good Primary school too. What happen? If you were the parent, can you stop such raging hormones? Can you stop them? This happens every other day and we see thousands of such photos splashed over the internet. Surprisingly, one of the photo above, it was posted by the girl herself on FB.

Even in a good environment, it may trigger off an internal character that the kid have all this while. Whatever it is, you cant choose ur kid. Parents will have to live with it. As some say, kids are here for a reason.

Then going into a good school create a larger Elitism. Someone wrote to forum to express her views which I fully agree. Well, of course, one may say, you r not a parent, so you r not in a position to say, but as an observer, or if you look at the larger picture, the writer is not wrong.

From ST forum.

THE present system of primary school admission is unfair to children from less-educated and lower-income families ("Enlarge popular primary schools" by Mr Chong Foo Sin; July 20).

Let's consider the ways parents can increase their chances currently.

The parent-volunteer route is available only to parents of means, who are usually better educated and in stable jobs and are able to take leave to volunteer.

As for location, well-off parents can afford to buy or rent accommodation near their schools of choice. For instance, there are no HDB flats within 1km of Raffles Girls' Primary School.

The alumni advantage breeds elitism and excludes those who do not come from families whose members attended "gifted" schools.

With no quota for Phase 2A, there could well be a year when, say, Ai Tong could have all its places taken up by the end of that phase - meaning that there is no room for "outsiders" not already part of the elite system. Ai Tong had only 38 places left this year.

Apart from enlarging popular schools and extending them to other areas, implement a quota for Phase 2A(2). Any remaining places after Phase 1 should be split into three: a third for Phase 2A (alumni), a third for Phase 2B (parents who have contributed to the school or society) and a third based on distance.

While the above solutions may not mitigate socio-economic disadvantage, it mitigates the risk that a class of elites would form, and if nothing else, would ameliorate the traffic congestion along Bukit Timah.

I guess this P1 registration fustration will be there for another decade or even longer. Good luck to parents who are sending their kids to school next year!