[Serangoon] Primary Schools

[mama Ping]

Dear Parents,


School Vacancies by Phases — Phase 2A2
(as at 13 July 2009)

http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/primary-one-registration/vacancies/

[Cher2101]

Dear parents, any feedback on rosyth school ? I was thinking of choosing between rosyth school and CHIJ OLN. I was told CHIJ is more focus on character development while rosyth is more on academic. I’m afraid my DD must not be able to cope as she’s rather a slow learner.


We had already register for rosyht under phases 2a2 yesterday. We are thinking of put her on waiting list for both CHIJ OLN & CHIJ Katong. Should we pull her out of rosyth if DD is selected for either CHIJ?

[Majella]

mama Ping:

Hi, Majela,


CHIJ OLN actually quite far from my house (I stay in Serangoon Central), I choose CHIJ OLN instead of CHIJ OLGC because my girl can register under phase 2A2 (13/7 & 14/7) in CHIJ OLN as she got step-sister has studied there.

Now I get it. How is OLN...is it good. I can consider both OLN & OLGC. I too stay at Serangoon Central. thanks

[qms]

Cher2101:

We had already register for rosyht under phases 2a2 yesterday. We are thinking of put her on waiting list for both CHIJ OLN & CHIJ Katong. Should we pull her out of rosyth if DD is selected for either CHIJ?

Hi Cher2101!

Err...You have already registered for Rosyht under Phase 2A2. So, you cannot waitlist your daughter under any other school. You need to withdraw from the first school you registered before you are allowed to submit your daughter's school for the second school.

[mama Ping]

[quote]Now I get it. How is OLN...is it good. I can consider both OLN & OLGC. I too stay at Serangoon Central. thanks[/quote]
Hi, Majela,

I oso dun know how is OLN? As my husband insisted our girl go to girls school and make it fair same school with all his 3 daughters only ( my girl got 2 step-sister), for your reference only

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=438&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=105

[Majella]

mama Ping:

[quote]Now I get it. How is OLN...is it good. I can consider both OLN & OLGC. I too stay at Serangoon Central. thanks

Hi, Majela,

I oso dun know how is OLN? As my husband insisted our girl go to girls school and make it fair same school with all his 3 daughters only ( my girl got 2 step-sister), for your reference only

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?t=438&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=105[/quote]Thanks the link proved useful

[Littlefire]

RRMummy:

Littlefire:

hi ChiefKiasu,


Thanks, i had read this thread already. maybe i wasnt clear. i was trying to ask if anyone with smiliar situation, ie. school not in the same GRC as resident address but went thru the GRL directions could give me some advice. :oops:

err... Littlefire, I think I read somewhere in the threads that that is NOT possible...

oh so sad, so if living within 1km, the only chance is thru phrase 2C rite.
and if balloting is required for <1km, does that mean all the parents in phrase 2C needs to ballot or also subject to the school decision to pick who has to ballot?

[buzybuzz]

I sincerely hope that my DS can get into Rosyth under phase 2C as we live just next to the school.


Aside from this, some parents are cracking their heads on which school to go to under phase 2A2, very privilege indeed. To many choices and cannot decide.

Do spare a thought for those who stay near the school, need to go through balloting process, and in the end need to study further away if not successfull.

I believe all child should be give equal opportunity for admission and not who their parents are, be it PV, GR and etc. Agree that siblings should study in the same school, not agree on other priorities that given to other parents.

I hope one day, all these phases (2A/2B) should be abolished and give each child an equal chance to admit to the school of their choice, base on proximity of their home.

[MMM]

Don’t mean to be a wet blanket but if that happens, given the Sporeans mentality, everyone will rush to buy a house beside the school… Well probably those staying near good school will profit in the end.

[ChiefKiasu]

buzybuzz:

... I hope one day, all these phases (2A/2B) should be abolished and give each child an equal chance to admit to the school of their choice, base on proximity of their home.

Dear buzybuzz, every year, at this time, hundreds of parents will undergo an immense amount of stress. And every year, at this time, some of us will feel that the system is not fair.

It is never about what is fair. As long as demand is greater than supply, the supply must be allocated on some discriminatory basis, and when that happens, the 'haves' will think the system is fair, and 'have nots' will believe it is not and discriminates against them. And both sides are correct in their views!

It is about what is practical, and what is right.

1. In one extreme, some people feel that it is only fair that there be exactly 1 phase, and so everyone is subjected to the ballot should demand exceed supply. No distance prioritization. Based entirely on pure luck. Is that fair? Well, even luck is a commodity. Some people have more of it... others don't. Is it fair that some people have more luck than others?

2. In the other extreme, some people feel that allocation should be based on meritocracy. So simply subject the children to a test and only the best ones get selected to go to the school. Is that fair? So some kids are born smarter than others, and others have doting and dedicated parents who pull all stops to prepare their children for such a test. Is it fair to children with less resourceful parents?

3. In between these 2 extremes are various logical considerations that each institution have to make.

a. Schools want their students to carry on their traditions and teachings for continuity reasons. The bond between schools and their students is eternal - and if their ex-students send their kids to their old schools, it is the ultimate mark of success for the schools. They must have done something right if their graduates are proud enough to want their children to go through the same teachings as themselves. Logically, it makes sense to prefer children from ex-students for the schools.

b. Schools need a critical mass of a certain type of students to drive their fundamental teachings. Religious schools fall into this category. Logically, it makes sense to prefer children of the same religion for the schools.

c. Schools need assistance from affiliated groups that have founded them and financed them in various ways throughout the years. It has been a while and so it is easy for us to forget that some of the oldest schools in Singapore were built by groups of immigrants who pooled together their money so that their offsprings can be educated in a manner suitable for their own cultures. Logically, it makes sense for these schools to prefer children of members of their benefactor organisations.

d. As most schools receive funds from the Government these days, it is logical that people who provide voluntary public community service for a specific community should be granted priority to schools within their community.

4. And finally, there's the question of practicability. It wouldn't make sense for a child who stay at one end of the country spend hours travelling to a school on the other end of the country. Singapore may be small, but not that small.

In the face of all the above considerations, how does one design a system that is 'fair' to everyone involved? In my humble opinion, it can only be achieved by making the schools all as equal as possible so that there is no question about which school is better than the other. Yet, as impractical as this is, is this really the type of system that we want? That all schools have the same culture, spirit and centrally controlled? The communists tried that experiment, and we all know the results.

No. The system is not fair. And it will never be. And it can be subject to various kinds of abuse. But it is the best that we have.