P1 registration: Schools should be distinctive, but not exclusive
Access to popular schools should not become a channel for protecting and passing on social advantage.
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Access to a public school should not depend on whether a family can afford nearby housing, say the writers.
PHOTO: ST FILE
Melvin Tay and Mathew Mathews
The latest changes to Primary 1 registration are meant to widen access to some popular schools. But they should also prompt a harder question: What exactly are we trying to preserve when families feel strongly about particular primary schools?
From the 2027 exercise, most primary schools will reserve 60 places for Phase 2C – the open phase for all students, regardless of whether or not they have a prior connection to the school – up from 40 places.