Schools closing door on parent volunteer scheme

At least 5 schools axe this scheme for P1 registration priority in phase 2B
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 10 Jun 2014

AT LEAST five primary schools have scrapped the parent volunteer scheme which gives parents priority placement when registering their children for Primary 1.

The scheme is often seen as a way to get a foot in the door of popular schools.

But schools say they simply do not have enough volunteer opportunities for the flood of hopeful parents, many of whom will end up having to ballot anyway, despite having put in the hours.

Four of the schools are under the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan - Tao Nan, Ai Tong, Nan Chiau Primary and Kong Hwa.

St Anthony's Canossian Primary in Bedok North has also done away with the scheme.

While there are enough spots for every child to get a primary education, these are popular schools which tend to fill most of their places by phase 2B.

In this phase of the Primary 1 registration exercise, children of school volunteers who have clocked at least 40 hours of service are given priority to register. Children of active community leaders and those with church or clan associations also qualify under this phase.

The earlier phases - 1 and 2A - are for siblings of current and ex-pupils of the school, and children whose parents went there.

But it is getting more competitive for school volunteers, grassroots members and those with church and clan associations to secure a spot for their kids.

Last year, Tao Nan was oversubscribed by 61 per cent at phase 2B. It had 66 applicants vying for 41 places, and balloting was required for Singapore citizens living within 1km of the school.

In 2009, the school received 107 applications for 82 vacancies at phase 2B. The oversubscription rate was about 34.5 per cent and all Singapore citizens living within 1km got a place.

And the registration exercise looks set to get even more intense for the 40,000 six-year-olds enrolling this year in 187 schools.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech last year, said the Education Ministry will set aside 40 places in all schools for children who register in phase 2B and 2C. This is to make sure there would be places left in popular schools for children with no blood ties to them.

But the new rule also means there will be fewer places for parents registering their children in phase 1 and 2A. They might then have to face a ballot and might also join the volunteer queue to double their chances. This could make phase 2B more competitive.

So those who put in the volunteer hours might still have to go through a ballot, said Mr Adrian Peh, chairman of the Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan's education committee.

"Many parents volunteered their time and effort but were not successful in securing a seat for their child. We understand their disappointment," said Mr Peh, who also supervises the management committee of the clan group's affiliated schools.

Mrs Cheong Ye Ling, principal of Kong Hwa School, said it already has a strong parent support group.

"Together with Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan volunteers, the pool of volunteers the school can tap is more than enough.

"There is only so much work to do. If we purposely create work for parent volunteers for P1 registration, we are going against the original intention of giving parents an opportunity to experience the school culture," she said.

But the decision to do away with the scheme has caused disappointment for hopeful parents.

A father who declined to be named said he had bought a house within 1km of Tao Nan School. He had also intended to volunteer at the school to increase his chances of getting his child, now five years old, in. But that hope is now dashed, he said.

Stricter Primary 1 priority rules for grassroots workers
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 12 Jun 2014

PARENTS who become grassroots volunteers in the hope of getting priority for their children in the Primary 1 registration exercise will have to serve twice as long as before. They will have to do at least two years of grassroots work, not one, to qualify for the benefit.

They will also be restricted to schools in the constituency where they live. Up to now, grassroots leaders could get priority for their children in schools near their homes as well as in the constituencies where they volunteered.

The changes, which will affect children registering for Primary 1 in 2016 and later, were announced by the People's Association (PA) in a circular sent in April, a copy of which was obtained by The Straits Times.

Signed by Mr Ang Hak Seng, the PA's chief executive director, and addressed to advisers of its grassroots organisations and mayors of the Community Development Councils, it said the PA had reviewed the scheme and felt it was still "relevant" in promoting collaboration between schools and the community.

But the changes were made to ensure that only "deserving" grassroots leaders and district councillors would benefit.

The scheme qualifies active grassroots volunteers for Phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration exercise, which also includes parents who are school volunteers or have church or clan associations. Earlier phases of the registration are for siblings of current pupils or children of past pupils.

About 400 children enrol in primary schools under the active community leaders scheme each year, less than 1 per cent of the Primary 1 cohort, according to a parliamentary reply by the Education Ministry last year.

But long-time grassroots leaders say it is not uncommon to see a surge in the number of people who apply to be community leaders a year before their child is due to register for Primary 1.

Lawyer Kenneth Au-Yong, a member of the Ulu Pandan citizens' consultative committee who is in his 50s, said: "When you have a popular school within the constituency, volunteers will come to you. You don't have to look for them."

The Ulu Pandan division under the Holland-Bukit Timah GRC has four popular primary schools: Henry Park Primary, Nanyang Primary, Methodist Girls' School and Raffles Girls' Primary School.

Mr Au-Yong said he has seen parents dropping out of activities and grassroots meetings once their children start school. "We should not allow the system to be abused like this."

Parents whose children will register in 2016 for primary education and who wish to join the scheme will have to be appointed as grassroots leaders in various grassroots organisations and district councillors of the five Community Development Councils by June 30.

NEW RULES: Parents need to volunteer for longer to be recognised as grassroots volunteers if they want priority in...
Posted by The Straits Times on Wednesday, June 11, 2014

New rules may see fewer parents doing grassroots work
PA hopes to put off those who just want priority Primary 1 registration
By Pearl Lee, The Straits Times, 14 Jun 2014

IT MAY mean fewer people stepping forward to help in their activities, but veteran grassroots leaders here are glad that new rules will make it tougher for volunteers to get priority Primary 1 registration.

In the long run, the people they actually get will be those who join for the right reasons, rather than opportunists looking to capitalise on perks that come with the position, they say.

In the new scheme, parents will have to be grassroots leaders for at least two years to get the benefit, double the time now. They will also get priority only in schools in the constituencies where they live, rather than in two areas now - where they live, and where they choose to serve.

The People's Association, which has about 1,800 grassroots organisations under it, made the changes in April. They apply to children who will register for Primary 1 in 2016 and later.

Madam Shirley Au-Yeung, 57, a grassroots leader of 16 years who volunteers at Sriville residents' committee in Marine Parade GRC noted that the areas with the popular schools got the most volunteers, who often came forward just for the benefits and quit after their children entered Primary 1.

"They tell me frankly that they have got what they want and will not be staying on any more."

Parents who are endorsed by the PA as active community leaders get priority to register their children in phase 2B of the Primary 1 registration exercise, along with school volunteers and those in affiliated churches or clans.

Each year, about 400 pupils make it into their parents' top choice of primary schools under this scheme.

The Straits Times understands that the process of becoming a grassroots leader involves a person being an observer for about three months, before he is appointed as a grassroots member by an adviser. Parents who want to register their children in phase 2B need a recommendation letter from the chairman of their grassroots organisation.

PA said the grassroots committee also looks at a parent's "contributions, level of passion and commitment and leadership ability" in addition to whether he or she had fulfilled the minimum service duration.

It declined to comment on why it has toughened the scheme, and how many parents it endorses each year.

Veteran grassroots leader of 20 years, Mr Zin Handair, 52, who is with the Bukit Batok East citizens' consultative committee, explained that there are about six events, such as block parties and New Year parties at each residents' committee each year, which grassroots leaders plan and organise.

"Over two years, that is about 12 events. I feel it is a better gauge of a member's commitment," he said.

Mr Fong Yoong Kheong, 28, chairman of the Eunos Zone 3 residents' committee added that if the new rules "put those parents looking for benefits off, then it is for good reason too because they will not last long anyway".

Some potential volunteers admit that the perks are the only reason they would sign up.

One man, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lee, 39, said he is considering volunteering to get P1 registration priority for his five-year-old daughter.

"If there are no benefits then I won't do it. It's a thankless job," said the technician.

Who sets P1 priority eligibility criteria?

WITH Primary 1 registration around the corner, this controversial issue is thrust into the limelight again ("Stricter Primary 1 priority rules for grassroots workers"; Thursday).

I applaud the latest announcement, as it separates parents who become grassroots volunteers hoping to get priority for their children in the P1 registration exercise from bona fide volunteers.

While the timing and the content of the announcement are welcome, it is bizarre that the announcement came from the People's Association (PA).

It was not even a joint announcement with the Ministry of Education (MOE).

The article mentioned that PA "reviewed the scheme and felt it was still relevant in promoting collaboration between schools and the community". Has PA taken over the setting of the eligibility criteria for P1 registration from the MOE?

It is time the MOE reviewed this controversial and outdated P1 registration priority system.

The school volunteer scheme is similarly abused. It is not uncommon to hear of parents who quit volunteering altogether once their child has secured a place in the school.

The only considerations for a child's entry into a primary school should be his nationality, the proximity of his home to the school and the presence of an elder sibling in the same school when the child enters P1.

All other eligibility criteria are controversial and are likely to be abused.

One way to ensure heartlanders have equal opportunities to send their children to brand-name schools is to relocate such schools from wealthy neighbourhoods into the heartland.

The Government should seriously consider reviewing the current P1 registration system to ensure its relevance and that it is not abused.

Neo Lin Chen
ST Forum, 14 Jun 2014

Keep the current criteria

UNHAPPINESS over Primary 1 registration is here to stay no matter how the rules are changed. Where one set of criteria benefits one group, it will work against another.

According to Mr Neo Lin Chen ("Who sets P1 priority eligibility criteria?"; last Saturday), "the only considerations for a child's entry into a primary school should be his nationality, the proximity of his home to the school and the presence of an elder sibling in the same school when the child enters P1".

If the Ministry of Education (MOE) adopts these conditions, will the unhappiness go away? Unlikely, because these criteria are already in place as part of a larger set of rules.

What if the prestigious schools are moved to the heartland? That would surely appease heartlanders.

But what about the other-landers? They might sell off their homes in Holland Village, for example, and move to the heartland. That would likely raise property prices there and drive out the heartlanders.

How about renaming and rebranding schools? Some schools bear names that appear to repel some parents and some have uniforms that pupils find hideous. If schools were renamed according to the letters of the alphabet or by numbers, parents are just as likely to clamour to place their children in AA or No. 1 school rather than FF or No. 20 school.

I suggest that we let the current rules stay. Schools that have a good reputation did not come about overnight. Many started out very small in what was then the heartland.

Their founders were probably not government scholars, but were passionate about education of the mind and the spirit. These schools were built on strong values and hence have a strong foundation and firm support over the years.

Perhaps, newer schools, despite similar or better facilities, lack this X-factor. But time may give such schools the chance to prove their worth.

Grace Chua Siew Hwee (Madam)
ST Forum, 19 Jun 2014

MOE sets framework, organisations administer Phase 2B criteria

WE THANK Mr Neo Lin Chen for his feedback and the opportunity to clarify the matter ("Who sets P1 priority eligibility criteria?"; last Saturday).

The Ministry of Education (MOE) sets the Primary 1 (P1) Registration Framework.

The framework takes into account the diverse interests and needs of parents and their children, and reflects a careful balance of various considerations, including siblings already studying in the school, parental or clan ties with the school, parent volunteer work, community involvement and proximity to the school.

While MOE sets the P1 Registration Framework and policies, the relevant organisations have to endorse their respective members (such as community leaders, parent volunteers, clan/church members) for eligibility to register under the various registration phases.

The People's Association has recently changed the criteria for endorsing its active community leaders to be eligible for the P1 Phase 2B registration, which will take effect from the 2016 P1 Registration Exercise.

MOE has no objection to these changes.

To ensure open access to all primary schools, MOE will be reserving 40 places for those without prior connection with the school before the start of this year's P1 Registration Exercise.

Lim Huay Chih (Ms)
Director, School Planning and Placement Division
Ministry of Education
ST Forum, 20 Jun 2014

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