More parents caught using fake home addresses for Pl registration

It’s that time of year again — Primary 1 registration season. And once more, the pressure is on.

A recent Straits Times article highlighted a worrying trend: more parents are being caught using fake residential addresses to get their kids into popular schools. In fact, from 2020 to 2024, there were about 9 cases per year investigated by MOE — a sharp rise from just 1 case a year between 2008 and 2018.

There were zero cases reported in 2019, a brief calm before the current storm.

So, what’s happening?

Some parents are renting or claiming to live in certain locations just to meet the home-school distance priority. But the MOE takes this very seriously.

If you can’t prove you genuinely live at the stated address for at least 30 months, you may be investigated — or worse, disqualified.

One parent was even charged in court in June 2025 for lying about her address to enrol her daughter during the 2024 P1 exercise.

👉 Want to know what qualifies as a valid home address?
Check our guide here:
https://sgschooling.com/address

Why the sudden spike?

MOE believes the increase is due to:

• Greater public awareness
• More school checks
• Whistleblower tips from the public

And the truth is — Singapore parents are really motivated. Popular schools like ACS (Junior), SCGS, Tao Nan, and Henry Park continue to draw families who are willing to move, downsize, or pay premium rent to live within 1km of the school.

What’s the rule again?

Here’s a quick refresher on the 30-month rule for new addresses:

• The address must appear on both parents’ NRICs at the point of registration.
• The family must live there for at least 30 months from move-in.
• MOE will investigate any suspicious cases, especially when parents are unable to show proof of actual residence.

If the address is found to be false, the child may be transferred, and the case referred to police.

What are parents doing instead?

Some examples from the article:

• One parent moved from Sengkang to Ulu Pandan in 2024 just to prepare for 2025 P1 registration.
• Another couple began house hunting two years ahead of their child’s P1 year.
• Many parents now study ballot history to target less competitive schools under Phase 2C.
• Buy new launch and use the address, even if it is still under construction. Check out new launch properties from another of our website.

“It’s a constant, stable source of demand. Parents with children heading to primary school are the movers and shakers of the property market.”
— Property agent interviewed by ST

Be smart, not sneaky

The rules are clear. And MOE is getting stricter.

If you’re planning your child’s P1 journey, start early, understand the system, and avoid risky shortcuts.

Understand how home addresses are considered, and plan your home purchase early and carefully.