I alway believe that getting my children into a good primary school is already half the battle won for securing a good academic future for them. However, getting a child into a prestigious primary school is not an easy task as what I thought.

I read up and knowing that these are the ways to get your child into a good school:

1. A former student of the school – in which case, your child has immediate admissions priority.
2. Be a member of an association or a religious group which is affiliated to the school
3. Buy a property and live within 1km of the prestigious school.
4. Apply to be a Parent Volunteer (PV).
5. Join the grassroots as a member and volunteer your services.
6. Praying hard that your god will help to secure you with a place in the school of choice during Phase 2C registration.

Being a parent volunteer (PVs), we have to volunteers our time and service to support the school with various duties that the school may not have the manpower or time to do.  In exchange for their services, the PVs are rewarded with the options to admit their children into the school. However, these options are not guaranteed an entry into the school.

I’m applying for this ‘R.L.’ primary school, which was a short distance away (within 1 km) from our house and was being ranked academic excellence Top 10 prestigious primary school. I started to make an inquiries last year early October (2 years before my elder girl is due for primary school registration) and we went in to the primary school that we interest with in November 11 for the PV registration. Were given the registration form on the spot and required to fill up and submit within 2 weeks (which I blooged about it sometime ago). The registration is not as simple as what we think, apart from our particular, qualification, company detail, we were asked for a short writeup of the reason for choosing the school, hours of service we will be available and also a short elaboration of area of interest that can contribute to the school voluntary work. OMG~ WTH for asking so much for a registration form.
Ok, anyway we were only called for a short interview this year on the 9 June. We were still worry sick why there is no news from the school after a month of waiting, that really got me a little stress and I suggested the Daddy to apply for Resident Committee (RC). Yes he did!! (back to this later). Being too pressure that we may ended up with no nearby (within 1km) school to get in as the schools in my area are all pretty full due to the area population, hence damn hot (my nephew is one of the case, that he ended up have to take school bus to the school that is out of 1km away from his house); so we actually went to register PV in another not those prestigious primary school of course but is also within 1km…. haha just 2 block away actually and we got into the PV a week after our registration, this school is so much easy and with no hassle.
Ok back to the interview we need to go again, prior to this interview, I had received a Contribution Template via email on 24 May 11 for us to fill in based on our areas of expertise (in our work, interest, hobbies etc). This template is to let us state our areas of expertise and how we can complement the school to achieve it goals in its strategic thrusts.




 
Were told that our application as a Parent Volunteer will only be confirmed after the panel (comprising the Principal, Vice Principal, seven Heads of Department, Administrative Manager and Operations Manager) has selected you using the Contribution Template. And this selection of Parent Volunteers will only take place in mid July 11 when all the Parent Volunteers have submitted their Registration Forms and Contribution Templates and went through the Interview before the selection can be done. Thereafter, 50 parent volunteers will be chosen.

So far the number of Parent who registered for PVs

The confirmed list of selected Parent Volunteers will only be released via email in early September 11

During the short interview, everything go smoothly that not many question raised as he said that my contribution template were pretty clear. Hopefully we can get into the PV and get to familiar with the school. Hee~ As I mentioned earlier that Hus applied for the Resident Committee, no news for almost half a year until this year May 11 General Election when Hus complained to the GRC member about the waiting when they do a house visit. Just a week later, he received a call asking him to attend a RC meeting, saying that he is now a member of RC but will be under probation. Lol~ So actually even without being the PVs, our chance of register for Phase 2C is still there. Being so Kiasu, I refused to give up applying for PVs, at least if I got into the PVs, I can reduce one PVs fighting for the vacancies. That’s what I think. May help in higher chance I hope.

What is all these Phases?


PVs have to complete the minimum 40 hours of service stipulated by 30 June 2012.
Still there is no guarantee that Parent Volunteers will automatically secure a place under Phase 2B as the number of places available is dependent on the number of vacancies after Phase 1, 2A(1), 2A(2) and even in 2B, where there are children whose parents are endorsed as active community leaders (Grassroots Leaders).
Phase 2B is where Parent Volunteer and Grassroot Leaders are eligible to apply. The school would not know the number of Grassroot Leader applying until the registration phase. For previous 2 years, the school had conducted balloting for Phase 2B.

Balloting will be conducted if the number of applicants exceeds the number of vacancies. It is balloted according to the following order of priority:
At the end of Phase 2A(2), 50% of the remaining phases will be allocated for phase 2B and the other 50% for Phase 2C registrants in a school. In the event that less than 50% of the allocated vacancies are taken up at Phase 2B, the remaining vacancies will be carried forward to Phase 2C.

Anyway, if you are interested in admitting your child into a prestigious school, you should do your research and make your inquiries at least 2 years before your child is due in primary school.

Labels: Educate