SINGAPORE - It is still early stages for the Primary 1 registration period but there are already a few schools that may have to conduct balloting for students applying to study there.

After the first day of registration of the 2A2 registration phase on Monday, three schools - Henry Park Primary, Ai Tong School and Nan Hua Primary - are oversubscribed, or have more applicants than vacancies.

Another primary school, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School, was oversubscribed by the end of the earlier Phase 2A1 last Tuesday, and held a ballot two days later. It is the only school with no remaining vacancies carried forward to Phase 2A2.

At each registration phase, a number of vacancies open up for each school. If the number of applicants is higher than the vacancies, schools have to conduct balloting.

Vacancies that are left unfilled in each phase gets carried over to the next.

Henry Park Primary had 36 children applying for the 23 places in this phase, while Ai Tong School had 46 children registered for its 35 vacancies. At Nan Hua Primary, 39 children applied for 37 spots.

Phase 2A2 is for children whose parents or siblings are former pupils, or whose parent is a staff member at the school. This is the third of the seven registration stages.

Six other schools may also be oversubscribed when registration for this phase close on Tuesday. These include Red Swastika School, Yu Neng Primary, Catholic High School, Methodist Girls' School , Nanyang Primary, and Rulang Primary.

Last year, four oversubscribed schools held a ballot for places at the 2A2 registration phase, after a rule change limited the number of vacancies available at the earlier phases. Under the rule introduced last year, schools have to reserve 40 places for the later 2B and 2C phases.

Previously, Phase 2A2 had not required balloting as it is a fairly early stage of the exercise.

Last Thursday, parents of 73 applicants hoping to enter CHIJ St Nicholas had to go a nerve-racking ballot for 68 available places at the early 2A1 phase, which is for children with a parent in the school's alumni association for at least a year or on the school advisory committee.

When registration for Phase 2A1 closed last Tuesday, there were 97 children vying for the 92 spots available.

The oversubscription left CHIJ St Nicholas without any vacancies for Phase 2A2.

Registration for Phase 2A2 continues on Tuesday.