Greater chance for S'pore citizens to secure place at popula

[Thargor]

 

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1025957/1/.html

 

Greater chance for S'pore citizens to secure place at popular primary schools

By Hoe Yeen Nie, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 20 December 2009 1413 hrs

 

SINGAPORE: From next year, Singapore citizens will have a greater chance of getting their child into the primary school of their choice.

 

The Ministry of Education (MOE) is tweaking the Primary One registration exercise to allow pink identity card holders an additional ballot during the balloting exercise for popular schools, where applications outstrip vacancies.

 

Currently, permanent residents (PRs) and citizens both get one ballot slip each. Foreigners will not be affected by the change, as they may only apply for a school under Phase 3 of the registration exercise, after Singaporeans and PRs have secured places.

 

The MOE said on Sunday that giving citizens two chances at the ballot "will provide for diversity in our schools, while simultaneously according Singapore citizens an additional privilege."

 

It added that the move is in line with the government's intention to "over time, sharpen the differentiation between Singapore citizens, PRs and foreigners to reflect the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship" as highlighted by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at a speech in September.

 

Announcing the change at a residents dialogue, Education Minister Ng Eng Hen however said: "I don't want this to come across as against PRs. We still want PRs in our schools, and it doesn't mean that for all our policies, we're always going to be able to say that Singaporeans get two chances compared to the one chance for the PR. That's not the general message."

 

PRs make up about 8 per cent of students in schools, while foreigners account for about 4 per cent. These relate to the population in primary and secondary schools, as well as JCs and centralised institute.

 

While the proportion has been consistent over the past few years, the growing presence of new immigrants has nonetheless raised some concerns among Singaporeans.

 

Dr Ng said: "I know that over the years, Singaporeans have said, 'look, we already have to ballot to get our children into the schools, and we live near. Even with the priority schemes, we still find it hard to get our children into the schools'. What about the issue of Permanent Residents and foreign students?"

 

But he noted the government has to strike a "delicate balance" between the two.

 

"We do want, also, PRs to have some privilege of entering our schools, because PRs become citizens as well. And if you don't allow their children to enter the good schools, they might not want to take up PR-ship or become citizens later on," said Dr Ng.

 

Speaking at a separate event, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Hwee Hua hoped that the move "sends the message that citizens will always be the primary focus of government policies".

 

On how the government would explain this policy to non-citizens, she said: "I think the explanation will really revolve around the relative importance of citizens to any country versus permanent residents, and versus non-citizens and non-residents.

 

"And that the distinction is seen not just in this case, but also in the way we differentiate between healthcare costs and so on. That necessarily would have to be the way we run our policies."

 

While the change was welcomed by most, parents are still realistic. Jasmine Liang, a parent, said: "In the end, it's still balloting. So in the end, it's still by luck, whether (your child) really can get in (or not)."

 

Dr Ng added that having PRs and international students in schools has its advantages, as they add diversity to the schools and can expose young Singaporeans to competition at an early age.

 

Some parents, like Candy Yoo, agreed. "Like my girl, she likes to make friends with people from China. They like to read books that are very difficult, but they're willing to try. So, my girl sees that 'why they can do it, I can't? I have to learn from them'."

 

The government has in recent years introduced big changes to the education landscape. This invariably means that the costs of schooling will go up. So who will foot the bill?

 

The minister said that while non-citizens will still get subsidies, they will have to foot the bulk of the costs. Hence, non-citizens will see their school fees go up.

 

To minimise the impact on existing students, the increase in monthly fees, which include both school and miscellaneous fees, will be spread over two years from 2011.

 

PRs currently pay between S$14.50 and S$29 a month, depending on the level of education. By 2012, these will go up by nearly four times to range from S$51 to S$102 a month.

 

Foreigners, who now pay between S$131 and S$372 a month, will soon pay double. They will be charged between S$246 and S$772 a month. Students from non-ASEAN countries, who now pay more than ASEAN students, will also see a bigger increase.

 

Citizens will see no change, for now. Monthly fees for Singapore citizens will remain at the current rate of between S$11 and S$28.

 

But some Singaporeans felt the hike for non-citizens was too much. Denis Chow, a parent, said: "If you talk about another 20, 50 percent more, or even double, I think it's still reasonable. But to quadruple, it's a bit hard to stomach.

 

"To me, if they actually made the choice to come to Singapore to study and stay in Singapore, leaving their own countries and families behind, I think as a basic right, so to speak, we should give them the same kind of fees as Singapore citizens."

 

But MOE said that even after the hikes, fees are still competitive compared to international and private schools.

 

- CNA/yb/ir

 

 

[Thargor]

My frank opinion on this...

 

Yes I welcome this new policy most definitely. It means my girl will have a higher chance of gaining entrance to the popular primary school I am eyeing.

 

But however, I feel that this should be the practice all along. It's not a question of whether is this a good policy for Singaporeans but rather, why only wait till now to implement it. Why I am happy about the policy, I am most puzzled/surprised that it has not ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.

 

I pay tax, I serve NS and ICT, I am a true blue Singapore. My kid deserve the priorities, ahead of PR or non-residents. So am I supposed to jump for joy being handed down this gift which is supposedly/essentially my BIRTHRIGHTS in the first place?

 

Very mixed feeling when reading the news and certainly getting more apathy about the state of things.

Edited December 21, 2009 by Thargor

[Pufferfish1]

only 1 stupid extra vote, if i am helping to pay a"MILLION DOLLARS SALARY MINISTER" who can only come up with this type of perks then i would stuff the extra vote up the minister body where the sun dont shine.

 

anyway it just a PRE ERECTION tactic

[Hiphiphoray]

A PR will be a PR........they will definately leave at the end of the day.

 

For what reasons, i think the whole world knows..........dont even need to say.

 

This prority system should have been implemented long time ago and should be across the board in all aspects. Not just primary school registeration.

 

No wonder sporeans give family planning a low prority.

[Joseph22]

This is not good enough. the practise should be Singaporean have the priority in the school before PR then Foreigner.

 

meaning Singaporean regardless of status and distant should always be in the first few Phase. Only after all the singaporean that apply had been cover. then should the extra slot go to PR.

Edited December 21, 2009 by Joseph22

[Darryn]

Hmmm...not exactly sure how I feel about this policy. It will benefit my daughter as she is citizen, but I dunno that it is the right thing to do.

 

Whether you want to believe or not, PR also pay tax, contribute and do their best here, many may be on their way to citizenship. I think there are some parts of the admissions exercises that are "broken" and I don't know that this is the best fix. It may be better to look at why some schools are oversubscribed in the first place - yes the reason is obvious, some are seen as better than others, so parents come from far and wide to attend these schools. I think this is something that needs to be looked at more so than anything else.

 

I know that Punggol for instance there are easily 5 primary schools all within an easy walk of my house - if I cannot get into one of them then I would start complaining. That the system was broken, until then I am tending more towards "so long as you are entitled to attend an SG school, and you live nearby then should be equal chance".

 

[Stary]

This is not fair to PR leh.....

 

PR also pay same tax, same GST, same ERP, same COE, same car park fees, etc and their kids (2nd generation) also have to serve NS what.

 

 

 

 

[Joseph22]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:18 AM, Darryn said:

Hmmm...not exactly sure how I feel about this policy. It will benefit my daughter as she is citizen, but I dunno that it is the right thing to do.

 

Whether you want to believe or not, PR also pay tax, contribute and do their best here, many may be on their way to citizenship. I think there are some parts of the admissions exercises that are "broken" and I don't know that this is the best fix. It may be better to look at why some schools are oversubscribed in the first place - yes the reason is obvious, some are seen as better than others, so parents come from far and wide to attend these schools. I think this is something that needs to be looked at more so than anything else.

 

I know that Punggol for instance there are easily 5 primary schools all within an easy walk of my house - if I cannot get into one of them then I would start complaining. That the system was broken, until then I am tending more towards "so long as you are entitled to attend an SG school, and you live nearby then should be equal chance".

 

PR is still not a singapore citizen. period.

If PR are enjoying the same benifit than Citizen, why will they want to be citizen?

 

Its about time Gahmen start giving us citizen incentive to be citizen.

[Kingcopa]

Just curious.... what if the parent is PR but child is SG citizen?

 

Anyway this kind of policy should be implemented donkey years ago, dun need rocket scientist to come out with this policy. Erection coming?????

[Darryn]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:36 AM, Joseph22 said:

PR is still not a singapore citizen. period.

If PR are enjoying the same benifit than Citizen, why will they want to be citizen?

 

Its about time Gahmen start giving us citizen incentive to be citizen.

 

Remember also that being PR comes with certain responsibilities, and that being PR is a stepping stone to becoming citizen. If genuine foreign talent is treated like second class person after making a commitment to country by taking up PR then why take up PR?

 

Do also remember that SG needs positive immigration to make up for the fact that birthrate has fallen below replacement requirements - so unless you want to find yourself in the situation of Japan where each working person is going to end up supporting I don't know how many old people then need to have good immigrants right?

 

I don't claim to have all the answers as to where the balance should be between PR and Citizen. But I do know that I am not altogether comfortable with 1 child being given priority over his neighbour when it comes to schooling. Particularly when the reason its even required in the first place is that a lot of people come from "out of zone" to register their children at a particular school.

 

Now if Singapore really did have a shortage of schools it would be a different story - but they don't. The whole problem is created in the first place by parents being kiasu and seeking out schools away from their homes. As I mentioned, there are easily 5 (probably more) primary schools all within a 15 minute walk of my house. This is a luxury that many in other countries would be totally estatic (sp?) about, without needing to give one child benefits over and above another.

 

When I was going to secondary school, I had a 30 minute bus ride - and that was the NEAREST school, the next nearest was a 50 minute (80 km) drive in the other direction, I remember cycling 20-30 minutes each way when I was about 10 to reach my nearest primary school. Sometimes we don't realise how good life is in Singapore.

[Darryn]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:36 AM, Joseph22 said:

PR is still not a singapore citizen. period.

If PR are enjoying the same benifit than Citizen, why will they want to be citizen?

 

Its about time Gahmen start giving us citizen incentive to be citizen.

 

PR dun enjoy same benefit as citizen

1. PR can be revoked any time (see Captain Ryan Goh)

2. PR dun get CPF top-ups

3. PR dun get all the GST etc etc credits

4. PR dun get to vote

5. Land ownership rules are different for PR

[Joseph22]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:43 AM, Kingcopa said:

Just curious.... what if the parent is PR but child is SG citizen?

 

Anyway this kind of policy should be implemented donkey years ago, dun need rocket scientist to come out with this policy. Erection coming?????

 

 

Child still got priority. they look at the child not the parents just like the baby bonus.

[Blackyv]

just look at the hdb ballot system, ..i dont think this works. period.

perhaps in future, the road would be so congested, drivers will have to ballot to get a "license" to drive on the road... and of cause, pink ic will have more chance....

[Joseph22]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:53 AM, Darryn said:

PR dun enjoy same benefit as citizen

1. PR can be revoked any time (see Captain Ryan Goh)

2. PR dun get CPF top-ups

3. PR dun get all the GST etc etc credits

4. PR dun get to vote

5. Land ownership rules are different for PR

 

1) Citizen need to do NS and reservist.

2) Citizen CPF top-ups is not alot.

3) Citizen GST credits isnt alot either

4) Citizen got a lot of choice to Vote meh?

5) The only thing that is different for Land ownership is that PR cannot get flat directly from Governement.

 

[Hiphiphoray]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:26 AM, Starry said:

This is not fair to PR leh.....

 

PR also pay same tax, same GST, same ERP, same COE, same car park fees, etc and their kids (2nd generation) also have to serve NS what.

 

Like i said, the "back door" advantage is an overwhelming plus point for PR.

 

Its not fair for PR to highlight and compare all other areas and CRY WOLF.

[Joseph22]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:50 AM, Darryn said:

Remember also that being PR comes with certain responsibilities, and that being PR is a stepping stone to becoming citizen. If genuine foreign talent is treated like second class person after making a commitment to country by taking up PR then why take up PR?

 

Do also remember that SG needs positive immigration to make up for the fact that birthrate has fallen below replacement requirements - so unless you want to find yourself in the situation of Japan where each working person is going to end up supporting I don't know how many old people then need to have good immigrants right?

 

I don't claim to have all the answers as to where the balance should be between PR and Citizen. But I do know that I am not altogether comfortable with 1 child being given priority over his neighbour when it comes to schooling. Particularly when the reason its even required in the first place is that a lot of people come from "out of zone" to register their children at a particular school.

 

Now if Singapore really did have a shortage of schools it would be a different story - but they don't. The whole problem is created in the first place by parents being kiasu and seeking out schools away from their homes. As I mentioned, there are easily 5 (probably more) primary schools all within a 15 minute walk of my house. This is a luxury that many in other countries would be totally estatic (sp?) about, without needing to give one child benefits over and above another.

 

When I was going to secondary school, I had a 30 minute bus ride - and that was the NEAREST school, the next nearest was a 50 minute (80 km) drive in the other direction, I remember cycling 20-30 minutes each way when I was about 10 to reach my nearest primary school. Sometimes we don't realise how good life is in Singapore.

 

Are you aware that there are a lot of PR that had already been a PR for 10 over years and still refuse to be a citizen?

If you dont have more incentive for Citizen, then there will be more.

[Thargor]

  On 12/21/2009 at 3:53 AM, Darryn said:

PR dun enjoy same benefit as citizen

1. PR can be revoked any time (see Captain Ryan Goh)

2. PR dun get CPF top-ups

3. PR dun get all the GST etc etc credits

4. PR dun get to vote

5. Land ownership rules are different for PR

 

Hi Darryn,

 

I have been following your postings for awhile and I think you are one of the few in the forum that consistently post well-balanced and well thought of replies.

 

However, my posting is about how I feel as a citizen. I stress the word FEEL.

 

It's more emotional than factual. And all the facts that you can pull out doesn't change the way I feel...as a 3rd or 4th generation true blue Singapore citizen that is.

 

[Joseph22]

  On 12/21/2009 at 4:04 AM, Thargor said:

Hi Darryn,

 

I have been following your postings for awhile and I think you are one of the few in the forum that consistently post well-balanced and well thought of replies.

 

However, my posting is about how I feel as a citizen. I stress the word FEEL.

 

It's more emotional than factual. And all the facts that you can pull out doesn't change the way I feel...as a 3rd or 4th generation true blue Singapore citizen that is.

 

 

Dont worry, all Citizen feel the same way. we are all in it together. Why should PR have the same benifit as Citizen when they are not Citizen. we should follow other country where the citizen always get the best. right now?? we are not getting the best.