P1 places expected in Sengkang despite intake cuts, says Desmond Lee

Eight of Sengkang's twelve primary schools had more than 650 places on offer at Phase 2C (Supplementary) in last year's Primary One Registration Exercise, Minister for Education Desmond Lee disclosed in a written reply issued on 7 July 2026.

The question, filed by Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik, asked how the reduction in Primary 1 intake would affect Home-School Distance balloting at oversubscribed schools, whether MOE tracks estates, including new BTO developments, without a primary school within one kilometre, and whether Phase 2C reserved places would be reviewed.

Desmond Lee said his response would also cover a related question filed by Assoc Prof Jamus Lim for a subsequent sitting, given the shared subject matter.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) noted that it "regularly reviews the provision of Primary 1 places, taking into account factors including demographic trends and upcoming housing developments."

While demand varies across schools depending on parents' preferences, the Minister maintained that MOE ensures there are sufficient Primary 1 places "for our children at both the national and regional levels."

The adjustment to the Primary 1 intake for the upcoming Registration Exercise reflects the smaller cohort entering Primary 1 in 2027 and in subsequent years.

This forms part of MOE's broader effort to manage the impact of falling school enrolment, minimising the need for school mergers while maintaining a geographical spread of schools islandwide. The Minister said the adjustments would help ensure schools retain sufficient enrolment "to offer a meaningful range of learning opportunities and programmes for their students."

Turning to Sengkang specifically, four of the twelve schools there saw balloting at Phase 2C in last year's exercise. The other eight schools had more than 650 places available during Phase 2C (Supplementary), more than double the number of applicants who missed out on places at the four balloted schools.

On this basis, Desmond Lee said MOE expects more than sufficient Primary 1 places in Sengkang for the upcoming Registration Exercise, even though some schools will continue to see balloting at Phase 2C. He added that MOE has progressively strengthened open access through Phase 2C, which is open to applicants regardless of prior school connections.

The number of reserved Phase 2C places was raised from zero to 20 in 2014, and from 20 to 40 in 2022, the Minister noted. As announced earlier this year, MOE is reviewing the Primary 1 Registration Framework "to further strengthen open access and to support a good social mix in our schools."

The Minister did not provide the requested assessment of which estates, including new BTO developments, lack a primary school within one kilometre. He also did not confirm whether the number of Phase 2C reserved places would be reviewed, beyond noting that the ongoing Framework review would address open access more broadly.

Details of the Primary 1 Registration Framework review, first flagged earlier this year, have yet to be released. The Minister said further information would be shared once the review is completed.