Children hoping to clinch a place at 22 primary schools in the fourth of seven phases of Primary 1 registration for next year will have to face a ballot.

These schools include Fairfield Methodist School (Primary), with 51 children applying for 25 spots; Holy Innocents' Primary, with 58 children eyeing 41 vacancies; and Nanyang Primary, which has 48 children vying for 21 slots.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on its website yesterday that for these 22 schools, balloting will be conducted for Singapore citizens who live within 1km, between 1km and 2km, or more than 2km, from the school.

The results will be out tomorrow.

Phase 2B is for children whose parents are school volunteers, active community leaders or have ties to church or clan associations directly connected with the schools.

Another two schools, CHIJ Primary (Toa Payoh) and Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Primary, are oversubscribed at this stage.

MOE said the schools only have places for Singapore citizen children residing within 1km and 2km of the school respectively, and no balloting will be conducted.

When there are more registrants than vacancies in a school, priority is given based on how near the children live to it. Singapore citizens also get priority over permanent residents.

Children whose applications are unsuccessful can register again in their next eligible phase.

A total of 97 out of 186 primary schools this year have filled more than half of their Primary 1 places so far. Last year, 83 primary schools were more than half-full at this point.

The next is Phase 2C, which is considered the most competitive as it is for children with no ties to the schools. It usually sees the most number of schools needing a ballot compared with earlier stages of the exercise.

Registration for Phase 2C starts next Monday.

From this year's exercise, MOE will also be introducing a cap on the intake of PR children in primary schools. The cap will be about 25 per cent to 30 per cent of a school's planned Primary 1 intake, and will be applied only in Phase 2C and 2C Supplementary in 10 schools.

Registration has been moved completely online in the light of safe-distancing rules.