Guidelines on School Admissions Policy Between Affiliated and Non-Affiliated Students

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim asked the Minister for Education in respect of secondary school and junior college admissions, whether the Ministry provides guidelines or imposes limits on the maximum permissible difference in entry scores between affiliated and non-affiliated students admitted to the same school.

Affiliated schools contribute to our variegated education landscape, with their long history and distinctive school culture. In recognition of this, affiliated schools are allowed to accord some priority to affiliated students, which provides them with the opportunity to consistently imbue their school values, ethos and culture into their students over a longer period, while still adhering to the admission framework set by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

From 2004, all affiliated secondary schools need to set Affiliate Minimum Requirements (AMR) – the minimum Primary School Leaving Examination score that students from affiliated primary schools must meet for affiliation priority. Since then, MOE has encouraged affiliated schools' proposals to progressively tighten their AMR to facilitate greater access for non-affiliated students. From 2019, MOE has also required schools to reserve at least 20% of places in each Posting Group at Secondary 1 for non-affiliated students. MOE does not cap the difference between the Cut-Off Point (COP) for non-affiliated students and the AMR, as the COP is determined by demand and choice patterns.

For junior college (JC) admissions, affiliated students receive two bonus points when selecting their affiliated JC as first choice, with a maximum of four bonus points in the calculation of net First Language and Relevant Subject. The COP for JC admissions is similarly determined by demand and choice patterns, reflecting the score of the last student posted to the school.