SINGAPORE: The week-long jail sentence handed out to the mother who lied about her address to enrol her daughter in a popular primary school could increase awareness of the consequences of such behaviour, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) on Friday (Nov 14).
Parents whom CNA spoke to also said the case may discourage those tempted to game the system, although it may not completely eliminate such behaviour.
On Thursday, the 42-year-old woman was sentenced to one week's jail for lying about her address during the 2023 Primary 1 registration exercise.
The prosecution had sought a fine, but the judge found that a jail term was warranted due to the aggravating nature of this case, including her calculated deception and "selfish motives".
The woman has indicated that she wants to appeal her sentence. The school has since transferred the girl elsewhere.
The sentence was extensively discussed on social media, with some surprised by the jail sentence.
MOE said the case "could further increase parents’ awareness of the consequences of wrongful behaviour in relation to the P1 registration framework".
According to the ministry, reports of such cases averaged about one a year from 2008 to 2018, but rose to nine a year from 2020 to 2024, with no cases reported in 2019.
These include cases of false declarations and non-compliance with the 30-month stay requirement, said the Education Ministry in response to questions from CNA.
"The incidence of such cases can fluctuate from year to year, as schools conduct regular checks and receive feedback from whistleblowers," it said.
MOE said it has a process in place to investigate possible cases of non-compliance with the P1 registration framework.
When it finds these cases, MOE will engage the parents, and the child will be transferred to another school near where they live that has available vacancies.
In cases where parents have provided false information about their registration address, MOE will also refer them to the police for investigation.
In 2015, a man was initially sentenced to two weeks' jail for providing false information about his residential address in the P1 registration exercise. This was reduced to a S$5,000 fine after his appeal to the High Court.
In 2007, a former lawyer was sentenced to 11 months' jail for forging and lying about his residential address to get his daughter into a reputable school in Bukit Timah.
Even then, using another address closer to the school doesn’t necessarily guarantee the child a spot, especially where popular schools are concerned, parents noted.
Elizabeth (not her real name), who is in her 30s and has an 8-year-old daughter, told CNA that she has heard of similar cases of parents using another address to get their children spots in what they perceive to be better schools.
For example, she has heard of parents who “go all the way” – renting another home closer to their ideal school to change their address, and paying a huge sum in rent to meet the 30-month requirement.
A child who gains priority admission through the distance category must reside at the address used for registration for at least 30 months from the start of the P1 registration exercise.
Ms Debra Lee, who has two sons aged 8 and 10, recalled applying for a spot in Ai Tong School for her older son, who was born in 2015.
She knew of someone debating between staying put or moving to their other home elsewhere to apply for another school. This person was also toying with the idea of using the other address without moving back there.
About the jail sentence, she said: "I would say that it would deter a group of people from doing that, but I believe there will still be loopholes."
Even the distance from the school matters if it comes down to a ballot, so some parents will still try to find other ways to move closer to their ideal school, said Ms Lee, noting the high rental prices of homes located near popular schools.
Ms Low, a 32-year-old housewife who requested to only be known by her last name, and her husband are deciding whether to sell their HDB flat, which will hit its minimum occupancy period early next year, and move to another place nearer to the school they want their children to go to.
She has one son and two daughters, aged 5, 4 and three months old. She hopes to send them all to her husband’s alma mater, also Ai Tong School, she shared, noting that the timeline is tight because the P1 registration exercise will start in July.
She is hopeful that the one-week jail term will serve as a deterrent to other parents who are thinking of gaming the system.
“It should be like that. If everybody just plays with the system, it’s a bit unfair.”
While doing the research for his older child’s P1 registration a few years ago, Mr Zavier Tan realised his alma mater is historically oversubscribed. He and his wife were worried about getting their daughter into the school since they were living quite far away at the time.
The 37-year-old marketing professional sends his two children, now aged 8 and 6, to his mother’s place every morning. She takes them to school and picks them up after classes every day, watching over them until nighttime.
This allowed him to officially appoint his mother as the children’s caregiver, which meant he could register her address with the school. Later on, driving back and forth every day prompted Mr Tan and his wife to move closer to the area for convenience.
“We didn’t game the system, but we do know of people who have rented houses or sold houses just to ensure that their children get into their desired primary school," he added.
Gaming the system is not common, he added. Many parents are hesitant to do it because it does not guarantee them a spot in competitive schools and is also “easier said than done”.
“On paper, it sounds like a good idea, but in reality, I don’t think many people actually do it," said Mr Tan.
Being able to rent another home near their ideal primary school favours wealthier parents, he added.
“I think it’s a leveller when the courts decide to send out a strong statement that such behaviour will not be tolerated.”
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Parents whom CNA spoke to also said the case may discourage those tempted to game the system, although it may not completely eliminate such behaviour.
On Thursday, the 42-year-old woman was sentenced to one week's jail for lying about her address during the 2023 Primary 1 registration exercise.
The prosecution had sought a fine, but the judge found that a jail term was warranted due to the aggravating nature of this case, including her calculated deception and "selfish motives".
The woman has indicated that she wants to appeal her sentence. The school has since transferred the girl elsewhere.
Related:
CONSEQUENCES OF NON-COMPLIANCE
The sentence was extensively discussed on social media, with some surprised by the jail sentence.
MOE said the case "could further increase parents’ awareness of the consequences of wrongful behaviour in relation to the P1 registration framework".
According to the ministry, reports of such cases averaged about one a year from 2008 to 2018, but rose to nine a year from 2020 to 2024, with no cases reported in 2019.
These include cases of false declarations and non-compliance with the 30-month stay requirement, said the Education Ministry in response to questions from CNA.
"The incidence of such cases can fluctuate from year to year, as schools conduct regular checks and receive feedback from whistleblowers," it said.
MOE said it has a process in place to investigate possible cases of non-compliance with the P1 registration framework.
When it finds these cases, MOE will engage the parents, and the child will be transferred to another school near where they live that has available vacancies.
In cases where parents have provided false information about their registration address, MOE will also refer them to the police for investigation.
In 2015, a man was initially sentenced to two weeks' jail for providing false information about his residential address in the P1 registration exercise. This was reduced to a S$5,000 fine after his appeal to the High Court.
In 2007, a former lawyer was sentenced to 11 months' jail for forging and lying about his residential address to get his daughter into a reputable school in Bukit Timah.
Even then, using another address closer to the school doesn’t necessarily guarantee the child a spot, especially where popular schools are concerned, parents noted.
PARENTS' REACTIONS
Elizabeth (not her real name), who is in her 30s and has an 8-year-old daughter, told CNA that she has heard of similar cases of parents using another address to get their children spots in what they perceive to be better schools.
For example, she has heard of parents who “go all the way” – renting another home closer to their ideal school to change their address, and paying a huge sum in rent to meet the 30-month requirement.
A child who gains priority admission through the distance category must reside at the address used for registration for at least 30 months from the start of the P1 registration exercise.
Ms Debra Lee, who has two sons aged 8 and 10, recalled applying for a spot in Ai Tong School for her older son, who was born in 2015.
She knew of someone debating between staying put or moving to their other home elsewhere to apply for another school. This person was also toying with the idea of using the other address without moving back there.
About the jail sentence, she said: "I would say that it would deter a group of people from doing that, but I believe there will still be loopholes."
Even the distance from the school matters if it comes down to a ballot, so some parents will still try to find other ways to move closer to their ideal school, said Ms Lee, noting the high rental prices of homes located near popular schools.
Ms Low, a 32-year-old housewife who requested to only be known by her last name, and her husband are deciding whether to sell their HDB flat, which will hit its minimum occupancy period early next year, and move to another place nearer to the school they want their children to go to.
She has one son and two daughters, aged 5, 4 and three months old. She hopes to send them all to her husband’s alma mater, also Ai Tong School, she shared, noting that the timeline is tight because the P1 registration exercise will start in July.
She is hopeful that the one-week jail term will serve as a deterrent to other parents who are thinking of gaming the system.
“It should be like that. If everybody just plays with the system, it’s a bit unfair.”
While doing the research for his older child’s P1 registration a few years ago, Mr Zavier Tan realised his alma mater is historically oversubscribed. He and his wife were worried about getting their daughter into the school since they were living quite far away at the time.
The 37-year-old marketing professional sends his two children, now aged 8 and 6, to his mother’s place every morning. She takes them to school and picks them up after classes every day, watching over them until nighttime.
This allowed him to officially appoint his mother as the children’s caregiver, which meant he could register her address with the school. Later on, driving back and forth every day prompted Mr Tan and his wife to move closer to the area for convenience.
“We didn’t game the system, but we do know of people who have rented houses or sold houses just to ensure that their children get into their desired primary school," he added.
Gaming the system is not common, he added. Many parents are hesitant to do it because it does not guarantee them a spot in competitive schools and is also “easier said than done”.
“On paper, it sounds like a good idea, but in reality, I don’t think many people actually do it," said Mr Tan.
Being able to rent another home near their ideal primary school favours wealthier parents, he added.
“I think it’s a leveller when the courts decide to send out a strong statement that such behaviour will not be tolerated.”
Continue reading...