SINGAPORE - More than 70 per cent of the 3,400 Kindergarten 2 children graduating from MOE kindergartens this year registered for a place at the affiliated primary school usually located in the same compound.
About 28 per cent registered under Phase 1 of the ongoing Primary 1 registration exercise, while about 43 per cent registered under Phase 2A(2), said the Education Ministry, in response to queries from The Straits Times.
There are now 36 MOE kindergartens, most of which are located within the premises of a primary school. They include MOE Kindergarten @ Anchor Green, which is in Anchor Green Primary, and MOE Kindergarten @ Horizon, which is in Horizon Primary.
MOE said the number of pupils from MOE kindergartens who applied for and successfully enrolled in the respective primary schools varies from year to year, depending on parental demand and available vacancies.
It added: "They are eligible to register under Phase 2A2 in their respective primary schools, but are not guaranteed admission to their respective primary schools, which will depend on available vacancies in that phase."
MOE said children may register at the school linked to their kindergarten but they may also register at other schools during the other phases they may be eligible for.
For example, if they have an older sibling in a primary school, they would be eligible to register at that school under Phase 1.
Phase 1 is reserved for pupils whose siblings are enrolled in the school of their choice, while Phase 2A(2) is for children whose siblings or parents are alumni, whose parents are on the school staff or the child is enrolled in an MOE kindergarten located in the primary school.
Phase2A(2) ended last Friday (July 23).
MOE said children graduating from MOE kindergartens who did not register at the linked primary school could have registered at other schools, or may have yet to register.
It said: "MOE ensures that there are sufficient places for all primary school-going children, regardless of the preschool they are from.
"To ensure open access to all primary schools, we continue to ensure a minimum of 40 places in every primary school at Phases 2B and 2C."
The MOE kindergarten programme started in 2014. In May, MOE it will open seven new ones across the island in 2024 and 2025.
All of them will be located inside primary schools and offer about 100 to 120 Kindergarten 1 places each.
When the seven new kindergartens open, there will be 57 MOE kindergartens in total, providing about 7,900 Kindergarten 1 places in 2025.
