Registration for the three other Ministry of Education (MOE)-run kindergartens closed on Friday.

Of the 320 places offered at the kindergartens in Blangah Rise Primary, Farrer Park Primary, and a void deck in Tampines Street 45, only 82 applications were received.

The kindergarten at Tampines, which will offer 80 places - the smallest number of vacancies among the five kindergartens - received 37 applications.

Over at Blangah Rise, 27 applications were received, while 18 were received at Farrer Park. Both the kindergartens have 120 places on offer.

"The aim of the MOE pilot kindergartens is to catalyse quality improvements in teaching and learning in pre-school education across Singapore. As this is the first year that MOE is setting up the pilot kindergartens, the number of applications we have received is a good start," said a spokesman for the ministry.

The muted response at the three kindergartens is similar to that of Dazhong Primary, which received 56 applications when registration closed on April 12. But all 120 places offered at the kindergarten at Punggol had been snapped up.

The ministry said it will continue to accept applications at the four kindergartens as vacancies are still available.

Some parents who are not keen on the MOE-kindergartens have cited the lack of childcare services as a reason. "The current preschool landscape comprising both kindergartens and child care centres caters to the different needs of parents," said the MOE spokesman. "We recognise that some parents need full day childcare services. MOE will continue to engage childcare centres in the vicinity of the MOE Kindergartens and inform parents if there is interest from these centres to offer childcare services to children registered with MOE Kindergartens."