SINGAPORE - Fifty-nine out of 187 primary schools were oversubscribed when the first day of phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration exercise ended on Wednesday.

The schools include Kong Hwa School, Rulang Primary School, St Hilda's Primary School and Fairfield Methodist School (Primary).

Fairfield Methodist had 60 children vying for 28 places. Over at St Hilda's Primary, there were 102 applications for its 54 seats.

Phase 2C, also the most competitive phase of the annual registration exercise, is for children with no affiliation to their primary school of choice. At this phase, registration is based on home-school distance - those living nearer to the school will stand a higher chance of gaining admission.

Last year, of 190 primary schools, 99 schools had more applicants than places when the three-day phase 2C registration exercise ended. Of these schools, 91 eventually conducted a ballot.

Not all oversubscribed schools will have to face a ballot. If a school has exactly 30 Singapore citizens vying for 30 places, all of them will get in, and the others will not be admitted. In this phase, citizens are given priority.