Latest news with #Primary1
Independent Singapore
15-05-2025
- Independent Singapore
Xishan Primary School says boy was assaulted by his own sibling after mother makes police report about bullying
SINGAPORE: Xishan Primary School has responded to a mother's public allegations that her son and daughter were subjected to bullying and harassment, saying it has investigated the reported incidents and taken steps to support the students involved. The mother, Nurul Al Takhi, took to Facebook and claimed her Primary 3 son had suffered injuries on two separate occasions this year while at school. In one instance, the boy was allegedly pushed and landed on a metal bar fence. He was sent home with an ice pack. Three months later, Nurul said her son was 'assaulted' and subsequently referred to KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH). A police report was made following the incident. Nurul also alleged that her younger daughter, a Primary 1 student, was 'sexually harassed' by a classmate in the school library. According to her, the same classmate later bullied the girl during class and recess, often accompanied by a group of students. The family only became aware of the situation after the girl wrote a letter about the incident, which they discovered the next day. In her post, Nurul expressed frustration over what she described as inconsistent updates from the school. She said her attempts to escalate the matter to the Ministry of Education (MOE) were redirected back to the school. While a police report was lodged, she claimed the authorities were only able to advise the school on possible next steps. 'How can we guarantee our kids' safety in school?' she asked in the post. In response, Xishan Primary School principal Mrs Jane Chng told Stomp that the school is aware of the incidents and has been actively engaged with the family. 'For each incident, we have carried out the necessary investigations, and our teachers have provided the required care and support for our students,' said Mrs Chng. 'We have engaged the parent on multiple occasions and have addressed the concerns with sensitivity and due consideration for all parties involved.' Mrs Chng also clarified that in one of the alleged incidents involving the son, the student responsible was 'one of her other children.' The school said it has reached out to all students involved and their parents to provide continued support, including counselling, close monitoring, and intervention measures as needed. 'The safety and well-being of all our students are taken seriously and any act of violence is not condoned,' Mrs Chng said, 'We are committed to rendering the necessary support to all who are involved and will continue to manage these situations sensitively, balancing respect for the families' privacy with the need to clarify the facts of the incidents.' She added that parents with concerns are encouraged to contact the school directly, and acknowledged that police reports had been lodged. Following the school's response, Nurul updated her original Facebook post to say she had received a reply from the school and considers the matter closed.
CNA
14-05-2025
- General
- CNA
Primary 1 registration exercise to start on Jul 1
SINGAPORE: The registration exercise for children entering Primary 1 in 2026 will begin on Jul 1, 2025, and run until Oct 31. Parents can register their children through the Primary 1 registration portal, which will also contain information on the various registration phases and the schools that their child is eligible to register in, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday (May 14). It is compulsory for Singaporeans born between Jan 2, 2019 and Jan 1, 2020, to participate in this year's exercise or enrol in the Junior 1 or Primary 1 programme of a government-funded Special Education school. Parents will require a valid Singpass with 2-Factor Authentication to log in to the registration portal. Only one parent is required to submit the registration. Those who require assistance may contact the school of their choice via email or telephone, between 9am and 4.30pm, during the registration period, said MOE. REGISTRATION DATA The list of primary schools and the total number of vacancies in each school will be available on MOE's Primary 1 registration website by Jun 24. 'The number of available vacancies and applicants will be updated during each phase of the Primary 1 registration exercise,' said MOE. 'Parents should note that these numbers may change during the exercise if applicants withdraw or make changes to their registration.' After the end of each phase, parents can check the registration website to see which schools have sufficient vacancies to admit all registrants without needing balloting. '(The) majority of schools in the previous year's Primary 1 registration exercise had sufficient vacancies to admit all registrants, without the need to conduct any balloting in each respective phase,' said MOE. Information on the previous year's Primary 1 registration exercise - showing the number of vacancies, number of applicants and balloting information for each school in the various phases - will be available for reference on the registration website. How the Primary 1 registration exercise works Phase 1: For children who have a sibling studying in the school. Phase 2A: For children who have a sibling or parent who is a former student of the school. Alternatively, their parent is a member of the school advisory or management committee or a school staff member. Children in an MOE kindergarten located within the school premises are also eligible. Phase 2B: For children of parent volunteers at the school. The parent must have contributed the required hours of service by the middle of the Primary 1 registration year. It also applies to children whose parent is a member endorsed by the church or clan directly related to the school, or is endorsed as an active community leader. Phase 2C: For children not yet registered in a primary school. Phase 2C (Supplementary): For children not yet registered in a primary school after Phase 2C. Phase 3: For international students. The education ministry advised parents to consider schools 'reasonably' close to their homes to reduce their child's commuting time. 'A longer home-school distance could also mean more limited transport options for the child,' it added. For details on each school's offerings, parents can visit MOE's schoolfinder website. 'We encourage parents to consider a range of schools and explore how these schools' distinctive programmes and offerings can best meet their child's learning needs, interests, and strengths,' said the ministry. From May 14, parents of prospective Primary 1 students will also be able to download and register for MOE's Parents Gateway app on their mobile devices using their Singpass account. Through the app, they will receive updates and information on the registration exercise process and its requirements. They will also be able to access information on administrative tasks before the start of school and tips on how they can support their child's transition to Primary 1. "Parents are encouraged to prepare early and refer to the MOE Primary 1 registration exercise website for the latest updates on the registration exercise and the documents required for registration," said the ministry. WARNING AGAINST GIVING FALSE INFORMATION Parents should use the official residential address reflected on their NRICs for the registration exercise. A child who gains priority admission into a school through the Home-School Distance category is required to live at the address used for registration for at least 30 months from the commencement of the exercise on Jul 1. 'In cases where this condition is not met, MOE will transfer the child to another school with vacancies,' said the ministry. 'MOE will retain sole discretion in the school assignment.' Parents who wish to register their child using the address of a caregiver, such as their grandparent or the parent's sibling, should declare the alternative child-care arrangement by completing the Declaration of Alternative Child-Care Arrangement form online. This should be done between 9am on Jun 30 and 4pm on Jul 31. 'Parents should submit their declaration early as they must receive an approval email from MOE before they can register their child for Primary 1 using the caregiver's address,' advised the ministry. It also warned that any registrant found to have provided false information during the exercise will be referred to the police for investigation. 'If a child is found to have been successfully registered in a school based on false information, MOE will transfer the child to another school with remaining vacancies. 'MOE will retain sole discretion in the school assignment.' EXCEPTIONS FOR REGISTRATION If a child is assessed by a qualified health professional to not be ready for Primary 1, parents may seek approval from MOE's Compulsory Education Unit to defer their registration. If the child's birthday falls on Jan 1, 2020, parents may also seek approval for deferment if they want their child to enter primary school in January 2027 instead. Applications for deferment can be made via an online form on MOE's website and must be submitted by May 31. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS International students will register in Phase 3 of the exercise, after places have been allocated to all Singaporean and permanent resident children. online "indication of interest" form between 9am on May 27 and 4.30pm on Jun 2. 'Those who do not do so by Jun 2 will not be able to register during Phase 3 of the Primary 1 registration exercise,' said MOE. The education ministry will notify international applicants via email by October on whether their child can be offered a place in a primary school.
