Impact of Relocating Bukit View Primary School

Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I wish to start by relating an incident that happened in my rookie year as a Member of Parliament.

I was having a cup of tea with hon Members at a table in the Members' Room. From the corner of my eye, I saw the Prime Minister entering the room and walking to us. I said to my Parliamentary colleagues, in what I thought was an undertone, "Boss coming."

After sitting down beside me, the Prime Minister turned to me and said, "I am not your boss."

Thinking back, what the Prime Minister said profoundly captures the essence of the relationship between backbencher Members of Parliament (MPs) of the governing party and the political office holders.

As MPs of the governing party, we are not subordinates of the Ministers. On the contrary, we have an important responsibility in scrutinising Government action and holding Ministers to account. It is worth reminding ourselves that structurally, we are independent and free to express our thoughts in this House on matters that affect our constituents and Singaporeans. The principle of collective responsibility that binds the Cabinet does not extend to backbenchers of the governing party.

Of course, we have to abide by the Whip in voting according to the party platform. That is a separate matter involving party discipline and that applies to Opposition MPs too.

My party colleagues and I in the backbench take this responsibility of holding Ministers to account seriously. We engage Ministers through correspondence, face-to-face meetings and party caucuses. We also do this through the Parliamentary processes, particularly by filing Parliamentary Questions and Motions. This provides an added advantage – the sunlight of scrutiny of Government action – something hon Members know I have advocated for in this House not too long ago.

There is therefore a healthy tension in the relationship between us. It is not at all personal.

On one hand, as MPs, we accord the Minister, his office and Ministry with respect. At the same time, the Minister takes our feedback seriously. He knows we cannot be browbeaten. He knows that we will not hesitate to pursue issues important to our constituents and fellow Singaporeans.

This is how we prevent groupthink and the creation of echo chambers within the PAP.

In short, we have backbone, we are independent, we strive to keep the Ministers on the straight and narrow. At the same time, we are fully responsible and accountable for our actions too. We reflect this reality in our daily interactions with all political office holders and civil servants.

I shall now discuss the Ministry of Education (MOE)'s decision announced on 9 February 2023 to relocate Bukit View Primary School (BVPS) to a place outside the constituency by January 2027.

Let me lay out the facts first. BVPS commenced operations in 1986. It provides essential primary school services to residents of Bukit Batok Single Member Constituency (SMC) and nearby constituencies.

Over more than three and a half decades, the school forged a close relationship with the Bukit Batok community. Senior community leaders and residents of Bukit Batok as well as former students serve in the School Advisory Committee (SAC). The community, through the SAC and grassroots organisations, gives tangible support to BVPS in the form of raising funds for the school's development plans, helping children from less privileged backgrounds and providing opportunities to school students to develop their character by participating in community assignments.

Its importance became more accentuated after the recent completion of BTO projects in its vicinity between 2017 and 2018. They are Skyline I and II and SkyPeak. These BTOs comprise about 2,700 units. That translates to about 10,000 people. The majority of these units are occupied by young couples and families with young children. In fact, BVPS was specifically used to advertise the desirability of these BTO units in HDB brochures.

Let me read out an excerpt from the brochure advertising Skyline I and II @ Bukit Batok. Under the header "Feel the Pulse of Vibrant Living", it is stated as follows, "Parents with school-going children will be delighted to find a good range of educational institutions in close proximity. These include Bukit View Primary."

I now go to the brochure advertising SkyPeak @ Bukit Batok. Under the header "Where Conveniences Abound", it is stated that "schools in the vicinity include Bukit View Primary."

BVPS also provided a photo for the brochure and was accredited for it.

On 18 May 2018, students and parents of BVPS were told that the school, which was originally scheduled for onsite upgrading, would instead be shifted temporarily to the former site of Shuqun Secondary School for two years from January 2020 to December 2021. This is to facilitate major upgrading works at the school.

This caused some concern amongst parents who had to make transport arrangements to shuttle their children to and fro the new site. Thankfully, with understanding from all sides concerned and arrangements such as school bus services at an attractive rate, the concerns were largely addressed.

In July 2019, MOE informed the students and parents of BVPS that as more time was required to enhance the design of the upgrading to allow for more efficient use of space and better traffic management, the BVPS upgrading plan would be delayed by one year. As a result, the move was postponed to January 2021 instead. The school was to return to the site by December 2022.

Around a year later, in 2020, the students and parents were told that the move will be delayed further by one year from January 2021 to January 2022 instead.

On 11 March 2021, whilst we were in the midst of the pandemic, BVPS informed its students and parents that the upgrading plan for BVPS, which was scheduled to begin in January 2022, has been put on hold.

By that time, the former Shuqun Secondary School site, which BVPS was supposed to move into, was used as a Regional Screening Centre. It remains as a Joint Testing and Vaccination Centre. It is therefore well known that the move cannot happen, owing to the effect of the pandemic.

They were also told as follows: (a) BVPS will be staying put; (b) MOE will be reviewing the project requirements further; and (c) pertinently, they will be kept informed on the review outcome once it is completed.

In a separate development, going back to around 2020, PCF Sparkletots @ SkyPeak, which is located near BVPS, was told that BVPS was to be designated as an MOE kindergarten from 1 January 2024. PCF was asked to partner the MOE Kindergarten at BVPS.

PCF expanded its infant care and childcare facilities so that it can provide a pipeline for enrolment at the MOE Kindergarten at BVPS. The expansion works were completed in or around 2021.

In November 2022, ECDA informed PCF that the partnership with the MOE Kindergarten at BVPS is delayed to 2027/2028.

I wish to add that news about the designation of BVPS as the site of an MOE Kindergarten percolated into the community. I personally spoke to two persons, Mdm Wendy Koh and Mr Dennis Chua, both residing at SkyPeak, on Monday this week. They told me that they were aware of this matter and had welcomed this development.

Against this backdrop, the Government’s decision dated 9 February 2023 to relocate BVPS came like a bolt from the blue.

I spoke to BVPS’ School Advisory Committee (SAC) Chairman, Mr Tommi Toh; Vice-Chairman, Mr Sonny Yuen as well as Mr Don Tay, an SAC member last week. They informed that the school told them the news about one hour before MOE went public.

Mr Tommi Toh, an old boy of the school who also got his two daughters to attend the same school, expressed that he was “shocked” by the decision. He felt that the SAC should have been consulted and its views solicited as a key stakeholder. Mr Don Tay felt the same way and informed that he does not fault the principal of the school as she told him she too got to know of the decision without much prior notice. I learnt about the matter on the same day of the announcement.

So, my first question to the hon Minister is simply this. Against the backdrop of the facts I outlined, why was there no consultation? We are not dealing with an urgent matter that requires decisive action such as defending the Singapore dollar. We are not also dealing with a market sensitive matter such as increasing stamp duty when buying properties.

On the contrary, we are dealing with a decision to withdraw essential educational services from a neighbourhood. Surely, there should be consultation amongst the affected residents, parents, SAC members and other stakeholders? This was the point that several residents made to me.

Mr Jeremy Ng and his wife are a young couple. They reside at SkyPeak. They moved in around 2018. They are trying to have children. They also have a five-year-old nephew whom they are taking care of. Their decision to purchase a unit at SkyPeak was influenced by the fact that there will be primary school services within walking distance. This was what was represented in the HDB brochures.

One of the schools in the vicinity, Keming Primary School, is perpetually full by Phase 2C. Hence BVPS provides an important assurance that they will be able to secure a primary school place within walking distance from their home.

Another person, Mdm Linda Chong, also a SkyPeak resident, has two children, aged 19 months and five years respectively. Her elder child was born in the same year that she moved into SkyPeak; 2018. She is naturally concerned about the lack of MOE Kindergarten and primary school facilities within walking distance once BVPS moves out.

In fact, I wonder if the hon Minister’s attention was drawn to the representations made in the HDB brochures, ECDA’s communication about PCF @ Sparkletots partnering the MOE Kindergarten at BVPS as well as prior communication to the parents at the time when the decision to relocate BVPS was made? If not, this is precisely why a consultation with stakeholders would have helped.

In comparison, I note from a Mothership article dated 10 February 2023 that the Government was in consultation with ACS’ board of governors for a year before the announcement to move ACS Primary to Tengah was announced also on 9 February 2023. I appreciate that there are differences in the details of the two moves, but both are relocations of schools which are important community nodes.

My second question is why were there so many flip-flops on what to do with BVPS within a short span of time even accounting for the effect of the pandemic? Respectfully, it does not give people confidence that MOE is on top of the matter and has made proper plans for the future.

Such relocations, when not given proper notice, causes real hardship to families. This point was raised to me by Mr Nazri, whom I met at a house visit just last week. He and his wife have two children. The elder child, a daughter, is in Primary 1 at BVPS. They had originally attempted to get a place for her at Princess Elizabeth Primary School (PEPS).

The hon Minister would know that the local demand for Primary 1 places at PEPS had shot up significantly after the completion of housing developments in a neighbouring constituency. It is not surprising therefore that they failed to be balloted a place at PEPS even though they were living close by. They therefore enrolled her in BVPS which was about 1.5 kilometres away. Fortunately, Mrs Nazri’s mother is living nearby and therefore is able to take care of his daughter whilst he and his wife are working.

By 2027, however, when the school is due to move to a new site which is at least two kilometres away, she will be in Primary 5. Both Mr and Mrs Nazri are concerned that the move will further inconvenience them. I fully appreciate their angst.

My third and final question is, having withdrawn essential primary school services, what is the Government’s plan to support affected children and parents in Bukit Batok SMC? In this regard, I highlight again that within the past five years, there are three completed BTO developments in Bukit Batok SMC. This shows there is and continues to be demand for Primary 1 places in this constituency.

To underscore this point, I wish to point out that PEPS and Keming Primary School, the two primary schools that are close to Bukit Batok residents, are perpetually oversubscribed for Primary 1 places for a number of years now. BVPS therefore continues to provide an essential service to Bukit Batok, which is appreciated by all.

There is also an impact posed by the reversal of a decision to operate an MOE kindergarten at the BVPS site. What is the alternative for affected families?

I say all this, not because I disagree with the decision per se, or as a petulant response to a lack of consultation. If I, the SAC members, affected residents and parents had nothing of value to add, if a discussion would have yielded no additional insights, if there were no people who acted in reliance of certain facts which are now changed, if all these were the case, it is perfectly fine that we learn of this ex post facto.

I wonder though whether this is the position that the hon Minister takes. I look forward to hearing from him.

Mr Deputy Speaker, let me start by thanking colleagues in this House, including Mr Murali, for the support to schools and students in their wards. Many of you also share useful feedback to MOE on school-related matters which we take seriously and try our best to address.

MOE regularly reviews the demand and supply trends for school places at the national and regional levels. Our school planning takes into account current and projected populations, as well as planned housing programmes to ensure that there are sufficient school places to meet the needs of school-going children in each area.

Because of parental preferences, some schools may see demand consistently exceeding the available vacancies, whereas there could be some schools in the same area which have vacancies. On the whole, our Primary 1 admission exercise has consistently enabled about 98% of Singaporean children to get into a Primary school of their choice or within two kilometres of their residence.

Let me talk specifically about Bukit Batok. Like other towns, MOE planned school places in Bukit Batok on the basis of current and known housing developments and these are updated regularly. MOE’s decision to relocate Bukit View Primary School (BVPS) from Bukit Batok East to a new site in Bukit Batok West in 2027 is to address the changes in the population spread and demand for primary school places within Bukit Batok as a region. Let me elaborate.

Demand for school places in Bukit Batok East where BVPS is currently located has been falling and will continue to fall as the estate matures. Three years ago, in 2020, Bukit Batok East accounted for 45% of the total Bukit Batok demand for Primary 1 places. This has dropped to 38% in 2023 and is projected to slide further to 20% or so in 2030, even after accounting for the recently completed BTOs that Mr Murali mentioned.

On the other hand, Bukit Batok West has seen a steadily growing demand for school places as a result of several more new BTOs. And for the whole of Bukit Batok, the total Primary 1 demand in Bukit Batok remains roughly the same over the medium to long term. This means that Bukit Batok as a whole, for this area, MOE does not need more new primary schools. But we have to take a careful look at where they are located as the weight of demand shifts from Bukit Batok East to Bukit Batok West and the new Tengah Town.

As such, in our most recent review in 2021, we re-assessed our earlier decision to upgrade BVPS at its current location in Bukit Batok East. Based on that review, MOE decided that it would be better to relocate BVPS to a new and bigger campus in Bukit Batok West two kilometres away, to meet the growing demand for Primary 1 places in Bukit Batok West and the adjacent Tengah Town. The new campus will have more and updated facilities to better support our students. This bigger campus will comfortably allow us to expand BVPS’ intake by one Primary 1 class per cohort, in addition to its current eight Primary 1 classes and this will give us flexibility to meet short-term surges in the demand if required.

Mr Murali has raised concerns over possible localised shortage of Primary 1 places when BVPS moves out. In particular, he is concerned over the demand from recent BTO projects namely Skyline, Sky Peak and Sky Vista. We have estimated that these BTOs would not reverse the overall declining demand in Bukit Batok East due to the ageing profile of the other households in the area. When BVPS relocates to its new campus, there will be sufficient school places for Mr Murali’s residents, in two other primary schools – Keming Primary School, Lianhua Primary School – and other nearby schools like Dazhong Primary School and St Anthony’s Primary School. There are altogether six primary schools in Bukit Batok.

For the benefit of Members in the Chamber who are not familiar with the area, BVPS, Keming Primary School and Lianhua Primary School are within close proximity of one another. So, what we are essentially planning to do is relocate one of them from Bukit Batok East to Bukit Batok West where there will be higher demand for primary school places in the future.

Let me now explain how we will smoothen the relocation of BVPS to its new campus two kilometres away in 2027. MOE has done similar relocations over the years. One recent example is in 2022, for Angsana Primary School, where all students moved to a new campus also about two kilometres away within Tampines town.

Using the “lift and shift” method, we kept the school intact, ensured all students benefited from the new facilities at the new campus and provided a sense of continuity for the students and teachers. BVPS will adopt this similar approach, which is the preferred approach, when the relocation is over a relatively short distance.

All of BVPS’ students currently in Primary 3 and above would not be affected by the move. For the current Primary 1 and Primary 2 students, MOE has consulted the school leaders on measures to minimise inconvenience to those affected by the relocation.

About 40% of the current Primary 1 and 2 students live in Bukit Batok West. The relocation there will benefit them. BVPS’ subsequent new Primary 1 cohorts would likely have even higher proportions staying in Bukit Batok West.

For current BVPS students who live in Bukit Batok East, the school will consider providing bus shuttle service for those who stay within walking distance from its current campus if there is sufficient demand.

I hope the affected parents will give the school time and their support to work through these measures. Where necessary, MOE will also give additional resources to the school leaders to make the transition arrangements.

We appreciate that any change of plans, including for BVPS, could be disruptive and maybe even disappointing to some quarters. In addition, for the local community and for Mr Murali, MOE fully understands that BVPS has been a part of the community for decades. We would like to assure Mr Murali that MOE does not take lightly a relocation decision unless we are convinced this is in the best interest of our current and future students.

This was why MOE had previously contemplated keeping BVPS at its current site with an upgrading plan for the school and had conveyed as such to Mr Murali. However, in the latest review, and with greater clarity over the medium- to long-term housing and demographic trends in Bukit Batok, MOE had to refresh our plans that would serve Bukit Batok residents and their children better overall.

That is why in March 2021, Mr Murali and the parents of the students in BVPS were informed that the upgrading of BVPS had been put on hold, as MOE would be reviewing the project requirements further. Mr Murali is right that MOE had changed our plans. But we believe this change of plans for BVPS would be the better outcome for Bukit Batok residents come 2027 – and even more so beyond 2027.

Mr Murali has asked MOE why he was not informed early of MOE’s change of plan for BVPS after our internal review. I would like to explain that for sensitive decisions to re-locate or merge schools, including those with property market sensitivities, MOE has to keep external consultations tight to key stakeholders. In the case of the relocation of ACS (Primary) to Tengah, selected members of their Board of Governors had to be consulted as it involved land owned by the Methodist Church.

Once MOE has arrived at a decision, we will strive to put in transition arrangements as early and as thoroughly as possible to mitigate any local impact.

For the case of BVPS, as with other relocations, MOE would communicate the decision and considerations to the local advisor at the appropriate opportunity.

Mr Murali also raised concerns over how the change in plan for a possible MOE Kindergarten (MK) at BVPS would affect residents in Bukit Batok SMC. MOE works closely with the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) to facilitate ECDA’s overall planning of preschool facilities to meet the needs of every community. We have been updating ECDA regularly on our MK plans, including our earlier decision to put on hold the upgrading of BVPS.

Mr Deputy Speaker, MOE’s plan to relocate BVPS from Bukit Batok East to Bukit Batok West is essentially to better meet the needs of residents overall in the Bukit Batok area in the long term. I would like to thank Mr Murali for working with MOE over the years to support BVPS and all the schools in the constituency. We would also like to thank Mr Murali for his sincere efforts to regularly communicate with MOE and representing the interests of the residents in his area.