MOE to Review P1 Registration:
"We Want to Make Changes"
Education Minister Desmond Lee confirms MOE is studying how to improve social mixing in primary schools through the registration framework.
Ask any parent who's been through P1 registration and you'll hear the same stories. The anxiety over which phase you fall into. Checking if your address is within 1km on OneMap.
Now, there's news that might change things. Education Minister Desmond Lee has confirmed that MOE is actively reviewing the P1 registration framework โ and changes could be coming.
"We will further unpack this topic in the weeks and months ahead, and then we hope to make some changes when ready."
Desmond Lee
Minister for Education
What Minister Lee Actually Said
Speaking recently, Minister Lee laid out MOE's thinking on why this review is happening now. Here are the key points straight from the minister:
The Problem: Concentrated Profiles
Minister Lee acknowledged that priority admission through affiliation and proximity can concentrate student profiles, impacting diversity in schools.
"The nature of the neighbourhood can affect diversity in schools, depriving children of the opportunity to mix with children from families across the whole spectrum of society."
Schools Are Not Just Mirrors
"Our schools are not just a passive mirror of our society, of our community around us... but they are also active platforms to enable our society to continue to thrive and flourish. Diversity and inclusiveness create opportunities for students to interact and learn from one another."
Part of Forward Singapore
"As part of Forward Singapore, we want to make sure that our society doesn't stratify, and this is important not just at the high level but at the level of lived experience."
The "Zero-Sum Nature" of the Issue
Minister Lee acknowledged the difficulty of the task, noting that the many opposing views show the "zero-sum nature" of the issue.
"Some think that affiliation or distance should not matter, and others say parents should just ballot for places all together without being split into phases. There are good intentions behind all these considerations, and the ministry will study this issue extremely carefully."
Ideas Being Discussed
According to Minister Lee, various ideas have surfaced during discussions. While no decisions have been made, here's what's on the table:
Remove Affiliation Priority?
Some have suggested that affiliation should not matter in determining school placement.
Remove Distance Priority?
Others question whether distance should be a deciding factor in school admissions.
Single Ballot System?
Some suggest all parents should just ballot together without being split into phases.
Study Affiliation Impact
Minister Lee said the impact of affiliation needs to be studied across different schools โ it could concentrate profiles or strengthen diversity.
Why This Review Matters: The Numbers
Minister Lee's concerns aren't theoretical. Research into the P1 registration system reveals significant imbalances:
Priority Phases
Enter via Phases 2A & 2B
Filled Early
At top schools by Phase 2B
Reserved Places
Per school since 2022
Open Spots
At popular schools
Open Spots
At less popular schools
Competition Gap
Popular vs other schools
P1 Registration Phase Distribution
Percentage of applicants admitted through each registration phase (excludes Phase 1 siblings)
Key Insight: Only about 37% of applicants enter through priority phases (2A + 2B). The majority (~63%) must compete in the open phases where distance from school becomes the deciding factor.
Source: MOE P1 Registration Data (180-179 schools) | Data extracted from official MOE registration results
But the percentages above don't tell the full story. What really matters is how many spots are actually available to families who don't have priority access. The gap between popular and less popular schools is stark:
Available Spots for Families Without Priority
This is exactly what Minister Lee is talking about โ the current system can lead to "concentrations of certain pupil profiles" in specific schools.
What Global Research Says
This isn't just a Singapore problem. The OECD has been studying school segregation across member countries for decades. Here's what the research shows:
"A hypothetical reduction in school segregation would positively affect educational equality in all of the countries considered... At the macro level, school segregation can deprive children of opportunities to learn, play and communicate with other children from different social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, which can, in turn, threaten social cohesion."
โ OECD, "Balancing School Choice and Equity" (2019)
Read full reportSchool Segregation Index by Country
D-Index (Dissimilarity Index): 0 = No segregation, 1 = Complete segregation | OECD Average: 0.38
Source: Jerrim & Macmillan, "School Segregation Across the World", Journal of Economic Inequality (2019)
Key OECD Finding on School Choice
The 2019 OECD report found a troubling trend: weakening the link between residence and school allocation is associated with higher segregation.
"Students were less frequently allocated to schools according to residence-based rules in 2015 than 15 years earlier. This may have intensified competition between schools and resulted in greater sorting by ability."
Source: OECD PISA Report (2019), p.45
UK: Sutton Trust Research (2024)
Comprehensive School Segregation StudyThe UK faces similar challenges with catchment areas. Research from the Sutton Trust found:
155
Comprehensives more selective than average grammar school
3x
Wider gap in FSM rates at top schools (2016 โ 2022)
"There are signs that overall segregation at top schools has got worse. In 2016, top schools had 1.6 percentage points fewer FSM pupils than average. By 2022, this figure was 4.9 percentage points."
Do Lotteries Work? The Research is Mixed
โ Positive Finding
A study in Games and Economic Behavior found that "lottery quotas lead to more diverse school populations."
โ Cautionary Finding
A 2024 study found that switching to race-blind lotteries actually increased segregation in Columbus City schools when they replaced demographic-aware admissions.
Bottom line: How a lottery is designed matters more than whether you have one. Simple "blind" lotteries can make things worse. Weighted lotteries that account for demographics can help.
How Different Countries Handle Admissions
Finland
D-Index: 0.30 (Low Segregation)No selection at all. Every child is assigned to their neighbourhood school. Schools don't select students, and there's virtually no private school system (<2%). 93% graduation rate, 30% less spending than US.
"During their nine years of basic education, students are not selected, tracked, or streamed."
Japan
Strict Zoning SystemGakku (ๅญฆๅบ) system. Your address determines your school โ no choice allowed unless you have a specific reason (bullying, accessibility). Public schools have no entrance exams.
South Korea
Lottery Since 1974Computerized lottery for middle schools. Introduced in 1974 to reduce "excessive burden" from entrance exam competition and concentration in prestigious schools. 60% of high schools also use lottery.
Before reforms, elite status was "guaranteed upon admission to a top-ranked middle school."
Netherlands (Amsterdam)
Lottery with Postcode PriorityRank preferences, lottery decides. Parents rank at least 5 schools. You get priority at the 8 schools closest to your postcode. If oversubscribed, lottery determines placement.
Result: 96-98% of children get into one of their top 3 choices.
United Kingdom
Catchment Areas (Similar Issues)Catchment area system โ with similar problems. Popular schools use proximity, which drives up house prices in desirable catchments. Research shows segregation at top schools is worsening.
Brighton tried a lottery in 2015 but faced pushback from residents in "formerly desirable catchment areas."
United States
District + Charter LotteriesMixed system. Public schools assigned by district. Charter schools use lotteries when oversubscribed. Some use "weighted lotteries" giving disadvantaged students slightly better odds.
San Francisco found unrestricted choice led to more segregation, not less.
What the Research Tells Singapore
- 1.No system is perfect. Even Finland's neighbourhood-only model is seeing rising segregation due to residential patterns. (OECD, 2022)
- 2.More choice โ more equity. OECD data shows "weakening residence-based rules is associated with higher segregation."
- 3.Lottery design matters. Blind lotteries can worsen segregation. Weighted lotteries that prioritize disadvantaged families work better.
- 4.Proximity rules help wealthy families. UK research shows catchment areas drive up house prices near good schools, creating socioeconomic barriers.
- 5.Reducing segregation improves outcomes. OECD research found "a hypothetical reduction in school segregation would positively affect educational equality in all countries."
Sources: OECD (2019), Sutton Trust (2024), Journal of Economic Inequality (2019), Journal of Public Economics (2024)
Beyond Registration: Support for Lower-Income Families
Minister Lee also announced that MOE is strengthening support for children from lower-income families through the ComLink programme.
"A recurrent theme that comes up in my conversations with educators and school staff is that these students with poor attendance and performance often face difficulties at home. Teachers and allied educators do not just support such children in school. Sometimes they will go knock on the door to try to bring the child to class, but sometimes they'll say the problem is actually behind the door in the family, the challenges they face."
โ Minister Desmond Lee
Existing Support
- โข Student care centres
- โข Junior Sports Academy
- โข Secondary school after-school engagements
- โข Opportunity Fund grants for CCAs
New Initiatives
- โข Gift-A-Family (launched 2024) โ enrichment and therapy support
- โข Tighter coordination with ComLink Alliance
- โข Stronger partnerships with social service offices
How P1 Registration Works Today
For context, here's the current system that's under review:
Phase 1: Sibling
Sibling currently enrolled in the school
Phase 2A: Alumni & Staff
Parent/sibling alumni, staff, advisory committee, MOE Kindergarten
Phase 2B: Volunteers & Community
Parent volunteers, community leaders, affiliated organisations
Phase 2C: Open
No prior connection required โ based on home-to-school distance
Phase 3: International
Non-citizens and non-PRs
Since 2022: MOE reserves 60 places for Phases 2B and 2C combined. Any vacancies from earlier phases are split โ one-third to 2B, two-thirds to 2C.
What This Means for Parents
Changes Are Coming
Minister Lee was clear: MOE hopes to "make some changes when ready" in the coming weeks and months. This isn't just talk โ it's on the agenda.
Nothing is Decided Yet
The minister emphasized MOE will study this "extremely carefully" given the opposing views. Don't expect overnight changes โ but do expect movement.
Watch This Space
If you're planning for P1 registration in the next few years, keep an eye on MOE announcements. The rules you know today might not be the rules tomorrow.
Related Resources
SGSchoolKaki Education Team
Ex-MOE Teachers, Private Tutors & Education Data Analysts with 15+ Years Combined Experience
Reviewed by: KW Phoon
Founder, BEng(Hons) in Computing Engineering
Data-Driven Education Platform