Data on Appeals Received for Secondary 1 Posting Exercise and Top Reasons Given for Appealing

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Education in the recently concluded 2025 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise (a) whether the Ministry has data on appeals received by schools for a change in the posted secondary school; and (b) if so (i) how many appeals were there and (ii) what were the top reasons given by parents and students making the appeals.

Each year, a small percentage of parents and students appeal to change schools after the Secondary 1 Posting Exercise. Most appeal directly to the school, whilst some write to the Ministry of Education (MOE). MOE does not have data on the number who appeal directly to the schools, as schools are not required to report them to MOE.

Following the 2025 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, MOE received about 150 appeals. These appeals typically request for a school closer to home or which have certain offerings, such as specific co-curricular activities.