PRIMARY ONE REGISTRATION SCHEME (Review)

Dr Toh Keng Kiat asked the Minister for Education whether registration for primary schools will be reviewed so as to allow children without connections greater opportunity to enter choice schools.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, in the current Primary One Registration Exercise, which saw a record number of 53,000 children being registered for admission to Primary One in 1995, 3,259 children (or 6.1% of the total) secured places for having direct connections with the school under Phase 2B.

Of the 197 primary schools, only 13 closed registration at Phase 2B. The remaining 184 schools had places for children who did not have any direct links with them.

These data show that parents who did not have any direct links with schools still had ample opportunities to register their children in schools near where they live.

The priority given to parents having direct connection with the school serves to acknowledge their contributions and support to the school. It strengthens the bonds between the community and the school and helps to build up good schools.

My Ministry therefore does not see the need to change this aspect of the registration scheme.

Dr Toh Keng Kiat: I have two supplementary questions, Sir. The first one is whether the Minister will consider a rotational posting of good principals and teachers to all the neighbourhood schools to uplift the standards. And the second one is whether the Ministry of Education will proceed with the ranking of primary schools.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, we do send good principals and teachers to all the schools. And when the time comes, we do rotate them to give them a wider exposure. I think it is a misconception that neighbourhood schools do not have good principals and teachers. In fact, very often so-called good schools do well because the children are very bright. They have tuition at home and all the support. And often it is the teachers in the neighbourhood schools who have to work harder, provide remedial lessons, and so on, to give the children that additional advantage. So they are the ones who add value. I would urge parents not to be taken in by the schools' results alone.

Concerning the ranking of schools, there is no plan at the moment to rank primary schools.

Mr Chia Shi Teck: Sir, since the teachers in the neighbourhood schools have got to work harder, will he not look at better incentives for them? Because those who are in good schools actually do not do that much work.

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I think the challenges are different. In a good school, you have very bright children. You have to stretch them further. So I think we have to try and balance out and make sure that all our schools provide a good quality of education.

Mr Chia Shi Teck: Sir, what is the purpose of ranking schools if the objectives are met?

Mr Lee Yock Suan: Sir, the ranking of secondary schools is meant to guide the parents and to tell them, for example, that not all the popular schools are really doing that well. There are many neighbourhood schools which are very good. And besides the ranking, we also look at the value-added. In other words, we compare the "0" level results with the entry qualifications of the students. If the students did not do so well in PSLE but performed very well at "0" levels, it means the school has added value. 1.30 pm

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question time.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No. 21(3), Questions Nos. 18 to 20 have been postponed to the sitting on 26th August 1994.]