Implementing this change, however, may be another story, especially in the popular schools, which already have large enrolments straining their physical facilities.

Parents like the single-session idea, but have voiced their objections to these schools cutting their intakes or running second campuses elsewhere.

A panel looking into enhancing primary education here came up against these issues in recent focus group discussions it held for groups of parents, students and school principals.

The panel, formed last month to gather feedback from the ground and study the recommendations, is led by Senior Minister of State for Education Grace Fu.

Announced by the Education Minister in September, the changes to the primary education landscape include:

* Moving towards a single session to create more space and time for holistic learning;

* Moving towards an all-graduate recruitment by 2015, and

* Enhancing academic and co-curricular activities that build life skills and character in pupils.

At a discussion with 25 parents last Wednesday, many said they welcomed the idea of schools going single session because it would give their children more time in the afternoons.

But how soon this can become reality is hamstrung by some popular schools not having enough classroom space for all levels of pupils in one session.

Lawyer Shirley Lo, 40 and with three children in the popular Southview Primary in Choa Chu Kang, said she hoped that difficulties like space constraint and large enrolment would not keep Southview from going single-session.

'Often, these popular schools which have large enrolments are the ones where resources are already stretched. They are the ones which will benefit most from going single-session, as teachers can meet more often and consolidate the use of resources,' she said.

Read the full story in Monday's edition of The Straits Times.