The 2026 Primary 1 registration changes and what they say about international students

On 10 September 2026 MOE announced two changes to the Primary One (P1) Registration Framework. On 7 October it explained them in Parliament, in reply to questions from several members. This post sets out what the two documents say and what they leave out, from the point of view of an international family.

What changes, and when

The press release says the revised framework applies from the 2027 P1 Registration Exercise, for children starting P1 in 2028. There are two changes.

1. More reserved places in Phase 2C. The number of reserved places in Phase 2C rises from 40 to 60 in all schools, except schools with a smaller intake. Phase 2C is open to all children, whether or not they have prior connections to the school. The reserved places in Phase 2B stay at 20. MOE says the increase in Phase 2C places comes from the earlier registration phases.
2. A Two-Track Scheme in Phase 2C. For schools in neighbourhoods with much less public housing than the national average, Phase 2C places are split equally between children living within 2km of the school and children living beyond 2km. There is no home-school distance priority within each track. MOE starts with 12 schools where public housing accounts for less than 40% of dwelling units within 2km.

What MOE told Parliament on 7 October

• MOE decided to focus on Phase 2C and not make structural changes to Phases 2A and 2B for now.
• There is no change to the Parent Volunteer Scheme. Schools decide whether and how to run it.
• There is no change to the Phase 2A priority for MOE Kindergarten children.
• The two changes, MOE said, do not by themselves lead to a more diverse socio-economic mix. MOE will monitor implementation and keep reviewing the framework.

Order of priority

Under the Two-Track Scheme, Singapore Citizens keep priority over Permanent Residents. MOE says all citizen applicants in both tracks are admitted first, before PR applicants are considered for any remaining vacancies. International students register in Phase 3, after places have been allocated to all citizens and permanent residents in the earlier phases, according to MOE's press release of 29 April 2026.

What we could not confirm

• Whether the extra reserved Phase 2C places change how many vacancies reach Phase 3. The 10 September release and the 7 October reply do not mention Phase 3 or international students.
• The dates for the 2027 exercise. We found no announcement of them.
• The list of the 12 schools. MOE gives it in an annex to the 10 September release, and we have not reproduced it here.