SINGAPORE - Children applying to 11 popular schools may need to face a ballot, at the third of seven phases in the Primary 1 registration exercise.

This is up from two schools last year which had more applicants than vacancies available at this stage.

Red Swastika School, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School and Gongshang Primary School were among the oversubscribed schools when Phase 2A2 - for children whose parents or siblings are alumni, or whose parents are staff members at the school - closed on Thursday (July 12).

This year, children in 12 kindergartens run by the Ministry of Education can also apply to their co-located primary school during this phase.

Some of these primary schools saw higher take-up rates than last year - Riverside Primary in Woodlands had just two children signing up for 69 spots in Phase 2A2 last year. This year, it had 44 children signing up for the same number of places.

The MOE had said earlier the move to give these children priority is to help them have an easier transition to the associated primary schools.

A total of 82 primary schools had filled more than half of their places by Thursday.

Three schools -CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, Catholic High School and Henry Park Primary - did not take in pupils at this stage this year as their places had been filled by the previous stage.

Those children who need to ballot at this point will receive their results on Tuesday (July 17) after computerised balloting will be done at the MOE headquarters. Parents will be notified via text message if they are successful or not.

In an attempt to meet the larger number of Dragon Year babies - those born in 2012 - who are starting Primary 1 next year, 2,600 more places will be made available, bringing the number to about 41,800 places in the 184 primary schools.

In recent years, some schools have been facing a squeeze because of the rule introduced in 2014, requiring all primary schools to set aside 40 places for children in the later stages, Phases 2B and 2C.

The next phase, 2B, is for children whose parents are school volunteers, active community leaders or have ties with church or clan associations directly connected with the schools. Registration starts on July 19.

Mrs Deniece Wong, a housewife, registered her younger son, Dominic, in Tao Nan School in Phase 2A2. Her older son, Dylan, now in junior college, had also attended the school in Marine Parade.

"Dylan excelled in the school and went on to Raffles Institution so we hope Dominic can study in the best environment and achieve what his brother did," said the 47-year-old.