In Parliament today (13 May), NCMP Lina Chiam asked about the Primary One registration which gives priorities to “active community leaders”.
She posed the following questions to MOE in Parliament:
To ask the Minister for Education:
(a) whether only those serving in People’s Association and its affiliated committees and organisations are considered as active community leaders for the purpose of prioritising their children for Primary One Registration and, if so, why; and
(b) whether he will consider expanding the definition of active community leadership.
Instead, Senior Minister of State for Education Indranee Rajah answered that the priority system for children going through Primary One registration is not linked to the government.
Replying to NCMP Lina Chiam, Ms Indranee explained that Phase 2B of the P1 Registration Framework is open to children of active community leaders.
In particular, Phase 2B said [Link]:
Phase 2B
(a) For a child whose parent has joined the primary school as a parent volunteer and has given at least 40 hours of voluntary service to the school.(b) For a child whose parent is a member endorsed by the church/clan directly connected with the primary school
(c) For a child whose parent is endorsed as an active community leader
Ms Indranee said that community leaders who get priority include those serving the Residents’ Committee (RC), Neighbourhood Committee (NC), Citizen’s Consultative Committee (CCC), Community Club Management Committee (CCMC) and the Community Development Council (CDC).
She added that in addition, Phase 2B is also open to the children of parent volunteers and endorsed members of churches or clans that are directly connected with the school.
She said the commitment and support from these various stakeholders help to build stronger bonds between the school and the community.
She further clarified that not all who are involved in grassroots associations get priority. Those who do not get priority include the People’s Association’s Youth Executive Committees and Women’s Executive Committees.
Ms Indranee said that priority is given to active community leaders and defined the eligibility based on objective view of community service, and not along party lines.
However, Ms Indranee’s comment seems to run contrary to what Mr Lee Kuan Yew, former Minister Mentor had said about all the affiliated organizations under the People’s Association (PA).
RCs, CCCs (citizens’ consultative committees), and CCs (community clubs) etc are all grassroots organizations that come under the purview of PA, a statutory board funded by taxpayers’ money, tasked to take care of all the grassroots activities in Singapore.
The relationship between PA and PAP is a close one. PA’s chairman is none other than the PM himself, who is also the Secretary-General of PAP.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew once said in a dialogue that the PRCs have been sending teams of officials to study Singapore for years. To illustrate a lesson the Chinese learnt, Lee Kuan Yew said:
“They discover that the People’s Action Party (PAP) has only a small office in Bedok. But everywhere they go, they see the PAP – in the RCs, CCCs and CCs.”
And typically, most of the important positions in the various grassroots organizations are helmed by PAP members themselves.
So, how can Ms Indranee said P1 registration priority is given to PA’s community leaders not based along party lines?
TR Emeritus
*Article first appeared on www.TREmeritus.com