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Primary One Registration: Frequently Asked Questions

Age Requirement

  1. What is the age requirement for children who are due for registration for admission to P1 in 2012?

    The 2011 P1 Registration Exercise is for children born between 2 Jan 2005 and 1 Jan 2006 (both dates inclusive).

  2. My child is born on 2 Jan 2006. Can he/she be registered for admission to P1 in 2012?

    No. The Ministry adheres strictly to the policy of admitting children to P1 when they are at least 6 years old on 1 Jan at the year of admission to P1.

Compulsory Education

  1. Where can I get more information on Compulsory Education?

    You may visit the Compulsory Education webpage for more information.

  2. My child is born on 1 Jan 2006. I understand that I have a choice of registering him this year or next year. Is this correct?

    Under the Compulsory Education Act, children born between 2 Jan 2005 and 1 Jan 2006 (both dates inclusive) have to be registered in the 2011 Primary One Registration Exercise for admission to Primary One in 2012. If you wish to defer your child’s entry into Primary One, you would have to write in to the Compulsory Education Unit for approval.

  3. Where can I get a copy of the deferment form?

    The deferment form can be printed from the Compulsory Education website.

  4. I have registered my child for P1 but now find that he may have difficulty in coping. Can I hold the school place for him and let him start a year later?

    Holding of P1 places is not allowed. You should, after obtaining approval from the Compulsory Education Unit for the child’s deferment, withdraw the child’s registration from the school.

Primary One Initiatives

Single Session

  1. What are the objectives of getting all primary schools to operate in single-session?

    The objective of having all primary schools operating in single session is to provide schools with more time and flexibility in organising the school day to achieve a more holistic education.

  2. What are the benefits of single-session primary schools?

    School leaders have shared that going single session would provide them more space and flexibility in organising their school day. For example, all pupils, including lower primary pupils, would be able to benefit from CCAs or other holistic learning activities in the afternoons without fear of disturbing classes. It would also allow teachers to use the classroom environment to achieve learning outcomes more fully, if they are no longer constrained by having pupils from different sessions sharing the same classroom.

    In addition, single-session primary schools would facilitate teachers in coming together for professional sharing. Teachers from all levels can interact and learn from one another to raise the level of instruction, and improve teaching strategies.

  3. When will all primary schools operate in single-session?

    MOE targets to facilitate the transition of all government primary schools to a single-session model by 2016. Government-aided schools will be given more flexibility in their transition timeline, as they have to take into account stakeholders’ concerns.

  4. How will I know whether the primary school I wish to enrol my child in is single-session or when it will go single-session?

    MOE is working closely with schools on the timeline and implementation details for their transition to single-session. When the timeline is confirmed, each school will inform its parents. For more information on schools which currently/plan to operate in single-session in 2012, please refer to the Transition of Primary Schools to Single Session webpage.

Double-Barrelled Race

  1. Can I change the race of my child when I register at the P1 registration?

    All race changes, whether to singular or double-barrelled race, will have to be approved by ICA, and parents are required to execute a Statutory Declaration before a Commissioner for Oaths (COA). Parents can proceed to the Citizen Services Centre, Level 3, ICA Building, where ICA officials are trained to assist with race change applications.

Primary One Internet System

  1. What is Primary One Internet System?

    For the 2011 P1 Registration Exercise, MOE will pilot a new Primary One Internet System (P1-IS) in eight primary schools during Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary only as an alternate channel for registration. Read the FAQ related to P1-IS.

New Integrated Programme (IP) Schools

  1. From 2013 onwards, the secondary section of Catholic High School, CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Methodist Girls’ School and St Joseph’s Institution will embark on a dual-track Integrated Programme (IP) for the secondary pupils. Will children in the affiliated primary school get priority for admissions into the affiliated secondary school IP track? What about the O level track?

    Pupils in the affiliated primary school will NOT be given admission priority for the affiliated secondary school IP track. Admission priority will continue to be given for admissions to the O level track of the affiliated secondary school.

Registration Procedures

  1. What are the registration procedures?

    Parents registering their children under Phase 1 are not required to go to the school as applications will be done through the elder sibling in the school. The registration of a child under Phase 2A(1) to Phase 3 is to be done at the school of choice by the parent or by a person authorised by the parent in writing. You may download the Letter of Authorisation (73kb .pdf).

    The registration process involves the completion of a simple application form. The school will register the child, issue an acknowledgement slip and at a later date inform the parents by post of the result of registration.

  2. I am currently working overseas and need to register my child for entry into P1 in 2012. How do I go about it?

    Singaporeans who are overseas and who wish to register their children for Primary One can refer to Information for Overseas Singaporeans for the registration procedures.

  3. What can I do if my child is not able to return to Singapore in time to start the new school term?

    If you are unable to return by Jan 2012, you could contact the Principal of the school your child has been successfully registered and apply for Leave of Absence. A school place will be available for the child when he returns provided the Leave of Absence is renewed every year.

  4. What are the documents required at the time of registration?

    For more information, please refer to Documents Required For Registration.

  5. I have misplaced my child’s immunisation certificate. Where can I get a duplicate copy?

    Parents may download a duplicate copy of their child’s immunisation certificate (using SingPass login ID and password) from the National Immunisation Registry website

  6. What are the registration hours at schools?

    The registration will be held between Wednesday, 29 June 2011 and Friday, 26 August 2011 according to the scheduled dates of registration for different phases. Schools will conduct registration from 8.00 am to 11.00 am and from 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm.

  7. Can I register my child in more than one school?

    No. At any particular phase you can only register your child in one school. Our computer system will be able to detect duplicate registrations. However, schools will allow parents to withdraw their registration in order that they can register their child in another school.

  8. My child is not a Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident and is born between 2 Jan 2005 and 1 Jan 2006. Can I register my child during the 2011 P1 Registration Exercise?

    Yes. You can register your child in Phase 3. With effect from the 2011 Primary One Registration Exercise, balloting will be conducted in Phase 3 if the number of applications exceeds the number of places available at the end of the first day of Phase 3 registration. After the balloting is completed, children who have not been able to obtain a place at their school of choice can go to another school with remaining vacancies to register on a first-come-first-served basis. For more information on the Phase 3 registration dates, please refer to registration phases and procedures. Please also refer to the details of International Students (IS) admission.

Dates and Phases

  1. What are the dates and phases of registration and the dates of balloting if the schools are required to conduct balloting?

    The dates and phases of registration as well as the dates of announcement of results which are the same as dates of balloting are listed here.

  2. My child qualifies for registration at an earlier phase, but I forgot and it’s now Phase 2C. What do I do?

    You may register your child under the current phase, which is Phase 2C in this case. He/she will participate in the exercise together with the other children in that phase.

Balloting

  1. What are the guidelines to be used for balloting when the number of applications exceeds the number of vacancies from Phase 2A1 to Phase 2C Supplementary?

    Balloting will be conducted within the school premises and priority will be given in the following order. Singapore Citizens will be given two ballot slips for each child, while Singapore Permanent Residents will continue to get one ballot slip per child.

    1. Children living within 1 km of the school of choice.
    2. Children living between 1 km and 2 km of the school of choice.
    3. Children living outside 2 km of the school of choice.

    If the number of children in category (1) is less than the number of vacancies, all these children should be allocated places without balloting. If after allocation of places to these children and places are still available, priority will be given to those in category (2). If places are still available after category (2) has been considered, children in category (3) will be considered.

    If the number of children under the category being considered is more than the vacancies available, balloting will be conducted for that category only.

  2. What are the guidelines to be used for balloting when the number of applications exceeds the number of vacancies for Phase 3?

    Balloting will be conducted within the school premises and priority will be given in the following order:

    1. Children who are Singapore Citizens.
    2. Children who are Singapore Permanent Residents.
    3. Children who are not Singapore Citizens or Singapore Permanent Residents.

    Within each of the above categories, balloting will be conducted if applications exceed the number of vacancies. For categories (a) and (b), balloting will be conducted according to the order of priority based on the home-school distance category for Phase 2A to 2C Supplementary. For category (c), balloting will be conducted regardless of home-school distance.

    After the balloting is completed, children who have not been able to obtain a place at their school of choice can go to another school with remaining vacancies to register on a first-come-first-served basis.

  3. Can I choose to have my children who are registering at the same school to be balloted together?

    Yes. Each set of siblings is considered as a single registration and accorded ballot slip(s) by citizenship. If the shared ballot slip(s) is/are drawn, places will be given to every child of the set of siblings.

    For siblings of different citizenship i.e. Singapore Citizen (SC) and Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR), the set of siblings is considered as a single registration and accorded ONE ballot slip as one of the siblings is SPR (i.e. according to treatment for SPR registrants).

    Parents may opt for separate ballot slips for their children. In this case, only the child whose ballot slip(s) is/are drawn will be allocated a place. Parents should inform the school at the time of registration.

  4. How will I know the schools which are required to conduct balloting?

    The Ministry will announce through Teletext (Channel 8, page 720), and the Primary One Registration Balloting webpage, the schools which will be conducting balloting for a particular phase.

  5. Must I be at the school to witness the balloting?

    No. It is not necessary as the school will inform you of the outcome of the registration by post.

Proximity of Home to School

  1. How can I find out the actual distance between my school of choice and my residence?

    Parents may check the home-school distance category from the OneMap SchoolQuery Service managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). Please refer to the following on how to use OneMap:

    1. Go to the OneMap website.
    2. Select the SchoolQuery service.
    3. Click on the “Find Schools near a building” option button.
    4. Enter the residential address in the “Find Location” box and click “Go”.
    5. Click on the desired building on the map. A list of schools which are within 1 km and between 1 km and 2 km from the selected building will be displayed.

    For more information, you may wish to email to onemaphelpdesk@niit-tech.com.sg or call the OneMap helpdesk at 6848 5266. Alternatively, you may check with the schools directly on the distance between your home and the schools after 17 June 2011.

  2. What is the OneMap system and how does MOE determine the home-school distances?

    OneMap is an integrated online map system for all government agencies to deliver location-based services and information. The system has been put in place by both SLA and MOE to determine the home-school distance categories used in the annual Primary One Registration Exercise. MOE determines the reference point of the school for the home-school distance calculations based on the school’s original layout.

  3. My house is more than 2km from the school which I intend to register my child. Can I still register my child at the school?

    Yes, you can register your child at any school of your choice. However if there are more applications than vacancies, then balloting will be conducted. Find out more information on balloting.

  4. What happens if I move to a new address after I have already registered successfully at a school?

    You can approach another school which is nearer to your new home for a transfer or seek MOE’s assistance for a transfer to a nearer school with vacancies.

  5. I have purchased a yet-to-be completed property and should be moving in after the property is completed. Can I make use of the new home address for the purpose of registration?

    Yes. The new home address can be used provided that you are able to produce evidence from the relevant authority that you have committed to the purchase of this property. In the case of private property, you must produce the original copy of the Sales and Purchase Agreement. The date of commitment by the developer in the Temporary Occupation Permit (T.O.P) must not be later than 31 Dec 2013. In the case of HDB flat, the Agreement for Lease is required. Parents must move into the new property within two years of the child’s entry into Primary One otherwise the child will be transferred out of the school.

  6. Some schools are holding at temporary locations while their buildings are undergoing PRIME. In this case, which site does MOE use to determine the distance between the school and any given address?

    The school’s permanent location will be used to determine the distance. You may check with the school for more details and confirmation.

  7. If a school has to move, which site will be used to determine the distance from my home for the Primary One registration?

    If the school relocates because of a merger or because it has a new site, the new site of the school will be used to determine the distance. This is provided the expected date of completion of the new school building falls between 1 July of the current year to 30 June of the following year.

    If the school moves to a holding school while waiting for its present site to be upgraded or rebuilt, the present site and not the holding site of the school will be used to determine the distance.

Statutory Declaration

  1. My child is being looked after by my parent or my sibling. Can we make use of their address for the purpose of registration?

    Statutory declarations are required for parents who wish to register their child using the address of the child’s grandparent or the parent’s sibling in a school within 2 kilometres from that address. The eligibility criteria are:

    • Both parents are working full-time at the time the statutory declaration was made; and
    • The child is under the full time care of a grandparent or a parent’s sibling; and
    • The child’s grandparent or the parent’s sibling is not employed.

  2. How do I go about making the Statutory Declaration?

    For the purpose of registration, the child’s grandparent or the parent’s sibling and one of the child’s parents are required to make a statutory declaration at the MOE Customer Service Centre. The statutory declaration can be made from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm, Mondays to Fridays and from 8.00 am to 12 noon on Saturdays, from Wednesday, 29 June 2011 to Friday, 12 August 2011.

  3. Other than the stipulated duration, can I come to the Ministry to make the Statutory Declaration earlier?

    No. The Statutory Declaration can only be made during the stipulated times at the Ministry.

  4. What are the documents I need to produce for the statutory declaration?

    For more information, please refer to the documents required for statutory declaration

  5. What is the balloting priority for children using statutory declaration for the purpose of registration?

    If statutory declaration is used, children who are registered using the address of either the grandparent or the parent’s sibling and residing within 1 km or between 1 km and 2 km of the school of choice are balloted together with the other children residing between 1 km and 2 km.

Notification of Results of Registration

  1. Are there any announcements on update of vacancy position in individual schools?

    Yes. Parents can find out the number of vacancy positions in individual schools on our website or from Teletext in June 2011.

  2. When and how will I know the outcome of my registration?

    You will be notified of the result of your registration by post, immediately after the school has conducted balloting (if required) and before commencement of the next phase of registration. You should check with the school if you did not receive any notification.

Priority Registration

  1. Is there any restriction against my third or fourth child qualifying for the Phase 1 registration?

    No.

  2. I have a second child who will be going to P1 next year. Can I register him/her in Phase 1 if my school of choice is different from the primary school which his/her sibling is currently attending?

    No.

  3. Can I register my child in Phase 1 in a school that is affiliated to the primary school of my elder child?

    No. Phase 1 is for a child whose sibling is currently studying in the school of choice.

  4. My children from my former marriage are in my custody. I have re-married and have a child who is to be registered for P1 this year. Can my child be considered a sibling of my elder children for the purpose of registration?

    Yes. If you have custody of your children from your earlier marriage, your younger child can be considered a sibling of your elder children for the purpose of registration. You would need to produce the relevant custody papers at the time of registration.

  5. I have lost my report book and PSLE certificate. How can I prove that I am an ex-student and qualify my child for registration in Phase 2A2?

    For a parent/sibling who has studied in the school of choice, any official document indicating that they have studied in the school before, such as a school leaving certificate or report book, would be sufficient to prove that they are ex-students of the school. Please approach the school in the event of lost documentation.

  6. If I am an ex-student of the school, does it mean my child will get a place no matter how far away I live?

    A child of an ex-student may register in the school under Phase 2A of the exercise, but is not guaranteed a place in the school. Should the number of applicants under Phase 2A of the registration exercise exceeds the number of vacancies, the school will conduct balloting among the eligible registrants.

  7. How do I qualify as an active community leader for registration at Phase 2B?

    Current serving executive committee members of the Residents’ Committee (RC), Neighbourhood Committee (NC), Citizen’s Consultative Committee (CCC), Community Club Management Committee (CCMC) and the Community Development Council (CDC) are eligible to register their children under Phase 2B. Please approach your Constituency Office for more information.

  8. Can a child be considered for registration under Phase 2B on the basis that his grandparents are active community leaders?

    No. Only parents of the P1 going child are eligible.

  9. I am an active community leader. How do I register under Phase 2B?

    You should check with your respective Constituency Office on the application procedures. If your application is approved, you will receive an eligibility letter issued by Peoples’ Association informing you to proceed to your school of choice on the day of registration. You have to hand this letter to the school. No other letter will be accepted by the school.

  10. What happens if I fail to secure a place for my child under Phase 2B as an active community leader?

    You may proceed to register your child at the same school or a different one under Phase 2C. However no priority at Phase 2C will be accorded.

  11. How can I qualify as a parent volunteer for registration at Phase 2B?

    In order to qualify for registration at Phase 2B as a parent volunteer, you would have to be registered as a parent volunteer with the school not later than 1 July 2010 and given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school by 30 June 2011 if you are registering your child in the 2011 Primary One Registration Exercise. You can approach the school of your choice directly to enquire about their parent volunteer scheme. However, it is important to note that there is no guarantee of a school place even if a parent volunteer performs the required hours of volunteer work.

  12. What kind of volunteer work will I do? Can the school reject my offer to be a parent volunteer at the school?

    As there are differing needs in different schools, the type of volunteer work required by different schools also differs. You may approach the schools directly to check on the type of volunteer work required.

Others

  1. What if I am still not able to obtain a place for my child at the end of registration at Phase 2C Supplementary?

    There are two alternatives. You can request MOE to post your child to a school which still has vacancies after Phase 2C Supplementary or you can register your child at a school which still has vacancies at Phase 3.

  2. Can I donate to the school in order to get a place for my child?

    The buying of school places is strictly not allowed. All school principals are aware that under no circumstances are they to solicit or accept donations in exchange for school places.

  3. What are the new/ relocating schools available for the registration this year?

    You can view the list of new/ relocating schools.

  4. What are the schools near my home?

    You can view the List of Primary Schools by Planning Area for schools near your home.

  5. Where can I get more information on international student admission to mainstream public primary schools?

    You may visit the International Student webpage for more information.

Primary One Internet System (P1-IS)

  1. What is the pilot Primary One Internet System (P1-IS)?

    The pilot Primary One Internet System (P1-IS) serves as an alternative channel of registering your child online for the 2011 P1 Registration Exercise for the eight pilot schools during Phases 2C and 2C Supplementary. Parents who register using the P1-IS need not make the trip to school to submit registration. Parents who do not wish to use the P1-IS to register their child into any of these eight schools can continue to do so by going to these schools for registration, like for all other schools.

  2. Who can register for the 2011 P1 Registration Exercise using the P1-IS?

    You can use P1-IS if you meet all the following requirements:

    • Your child is eligible for registration in Phase 2C or Phase 2C Supplementary.
    • Your school of choice is one of the eight pilot schools.
    • Both parents possess SingPass.

  3. Which are the eight pilot schools for the 2011 P1 Registration Exercise?

    The eight schools are:

    Primary Schools Planning Area
    Beacon Primary Bukit Panjang
    Edgefield Primary Punggol
    Mee Toh School Punggol
    Anchor Green Primary Sengkang
    Nan Chiau Primary Sengkang
    North Vista Primary Sengkang
    Canberra Primary Sembawang
    Endeavour Primary Sembawang

  4. What is SingPass?

    SingPass stands for ‘Singapore Personal Access’. SingPass is the common password used to transact with different Government online services. For more information about SingPass, please visit the SingPass website.

  5. When can I logon to P1-IS to submit my child’s registration?

    You can logon to the P1-IS from:

    Phase 2C

    Starting from 9.00 am on 26 July 2011 to 4.30 pm on 28 July 2011.

    Phase 2C Supplementary

    Starting from 9.00 am on 9 August 2011 to 4.30 pm on 11 August 2011.

  6. Do I need to pay to use P1-IS?

    No.

  7. Will I be automatically logged out if I stay too long on a particular page?

    Yes. You will be logged out after 10 minutes if you did not perform any activity on any of the P1-IS pages.

  8. During my registration, if I am logged out by the system, will the data that I have entered be saved?

    No. The data will be lost and you will need to enter the data again.

  9. How do I know that my online registration has been submitted successfully?

    To complete registration online, both parents are required to login to P1-IS to submit the registration. Your online registration is considered successfully submitted when you see the message “Your registration has been successfully submitted.” on the acknowledgement slip. Parents should print and retain a copy of the acknowledgement slip for future reference.

  10. When and how will I know the outcome of my online registration?

    You will be notified of the result of your registration by post, after the school has conducted balloting (if required) and before commencement of the next phase of registration. You should check with the school if you did not receive any notification.

    For Overseas Singaporeans who use the P1-IS, parents need to check with the school or MOE, on the date of the announcement of results for that phase, to find out whether their child is successful in obtaining a place in the school.

  11. Do I need to provide any documents to the school after I have completed my online registration?

    Yes. You have to produce the originals of each required document when requested by the school or upon reporting to the school. For more information on the required documents, please refer to Documents Required For Registration.

    Any registrant found to have provided false information during the Primary One Registration Exercise will be referred to the Police for investigation. A child who is successfully registered in a school based on false information given will be transferred to another school with available vacancies after all eligible children have been registered.

  12. If I have submitted my child’s registration online and my spouse does not have time to log in, is my child considered registered with the school?

    No. This is an incomplete registration. Should your spouse be unable to log in to confirm the registration, please approach your school of choice with the Documents Required For Registration to register your child.

  13. If P1-IS shows an address which is different from my NRIC address, can I update my address in P1-IS?

    No. You are not allowed to amend your address in P1-IS. Should the P1-IS show an address which is different from your NRIC address, please do not register using the P1-IS. You should approach your school of choice with the Documents Required For Registration to register your child.

  14. Can I amend my choice of school after I have submitted my registration online?

    No. You are not allowed to amend your choice of school after you have submitted your registration online. To re-register for another school, you have to withdraw your registration submitted earlier in the P1-IS and then approach the school you wish to re-register for registration.

  15. How do I know that my online registration has been withdrawn successfully?

    To complete withdrawal online, both parents are required to login to P1-IS to submit the withdrawal. Your online registration is considered successfully withdrawn when you see the message “Your registration has been successfully withdrawn.” on the acknowledgement slip.

  16. Can I re-register for another school online after I have withdrawn my registration online?

    After a withdrawal is completed online, re-registration has to be done at your school of choice.