RED SWASTIKA AND YU NENG PRIMARY SCHOOLS (Pre-primary classes)

Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam asked the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Education whether he will consider increasing the number of pre-primary classes in Red Swastika Primary School and Yu Neng Primary School in Bedok North Estate as there is a pressing need for more places.

The Minister of State for Education and Communications and Information (Dr Tay Eng Soon) (for the Minister for Trade and Industry and Minister for Education): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am replying on behalf of my Minister.

The number of pre-primary classes in Red Swastika School and Yu Neng Primary School cannot be further increased because there are no more classrooms to take in additional pre-primary children.

My Ministry's priority at this time is to meet the demand for places of children seeking admission to Primary One. Red Swastika School and Yu Neng Primary School are both situated in Bedok. In 1984, 876 Primary 1 places out of a total of 4,050 places in the primary schools in Bedok were left for registration under Phase 3. This year, only 436 Primary 1 places were left for Phase 3. If we were to increase the number of pre-primary classes in the two schools concerned, we would have to correspondingly reduce the already tight supply of Primary 1 places in Bedok area.

Dr Arthur Beng Kian Lam (Fengshan): Sir, would the Minister of State agree to look into the possibility of meeting this need in the future?

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Yes, Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir.

Maj Fong Sip Chee (Kampong Chai Chee): Sir, does the Minister realize that in the Red Swastika School there is no provision for the Malay language subject in the pre-primary class? Which means that when the pre-primary students were to be registered for Primary 1 the following year, no non-Chinese student can be admitted under the scheme in that school, so that the school will forever be a school without any Malay student.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, it is not true that a school which has pre-primary intake will not have places at Primary 1 for pupils who are coming to join the school not through the pre-primary intake. All the schools that have pre-primary classes also have places at Primary 1 level for direct intake at Primary 1. I believe that the Red Swastika School will be one of these schools.

Maj Fong Sip Chee: Sir, does the Minister realize that his answer betrays knowledge on the subject? The Red Swastika School happens to be a school that would take in directly Primary 1 cohorts from the pre-primary school. And if there is no Malay language as a subject in the pre-primary classes, then there would not be any Malay students in that school in the future.

Dr Tay Eng Soon: Sir, I will look into this particular school. As a rule, schools which have pre-primary classes have an intake which will go on to Primary 1. But the Primary 1 classes in these schools will have vacancies for those who are coming in on direct intake into Primary 1 as well.

Maj Fong Sip Chee: I thank the Minister for his confession of ignorance on the subject.