IMPACT OF RELOCATING BUKIT VIEW PRIMARY SCHOOL

On 9 Feb 2023, MOE announced the relocation of Bukit View Primary School (“BVPS”) to a site about 2 km away. I was concerned about the decision as it appeared to me there was no prior consultation. I also recall that there were prior decisions on upgrading of BVPS and designating it as an MOE kindergarten. Subsequently, several residents also expressed their concerns about the relocation decision to me. I filed an adjournment motion to ask the Minister 3 questions: 1) Why was there no consultation; 2) why were there so many flip flops in the decisions involving BVPS; and 3) what steps will be taken to help affected residents, parents and children of BVPS. My speech may be accessed below.

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Sir, I wish to start by relating an incident that happened in my rookie year as an MP. 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 PM 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, PM turned to me and said, “I am not your boss!”.

Thinking back, what PM said profoundly captures the essence of the relationship between a backbencher MP 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:

i. The principle of collective responsibility that binds the Cabinet, does not extend to backbenchers of the governing party.

ii. Of course, we have to abide by the Whip in voting according to the party platform.

That is a separate matter involving party discipline. 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 the 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 that 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’s decision announced on 9 Feb 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 SMC and nearby constituencies. Over more than 3 ½ 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 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 1 & 2 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 HDB BTO units in HDB brochures.

Let me read out an excerpt from the brochure advertising Skyline 1 & 2 @ 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 on-site upgrading, would instead be shifted temporarily to the former site of Shuqun Secondary School for 2 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 1 year. As a result, the move was postponed to January 2021 instead. The school was to return by December 2022.

Around a year later, in 2020, the students and parents were informed that the move will be delayed for 1 further 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 plans 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 still 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:

i. BVPS will be staying put;

ii. MOE will be reviewing the project requirements further; and pertinently

iii. 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 Jan 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 Nov 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 2 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’ 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 1 hour before MOE went public. Mr Tommi Toh, an old boy of the school who also got his 2 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 that 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 for property purchases. 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 5-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 (“Keming”), 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 2 children, aged 19 months and 5 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 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 2nd 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 by Mr Nazri, whom I met at a house visit just last week, to me. He and his wife have 2 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 Pri 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 km 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, when the school is due to move to a new site which is at least 2 km away from the current site, 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 3rd 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 5 years, there are 3 completed BTO developments in Bukit Batok SMC. This shows that 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, the 2 primary schools that are close to Bukit Batok residents, are perpetually oversubscribed for Pri 1 places for a number of years now. BVPS therefore continues to provide an essential service to the Bukit Batok community that 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 if this is the position that the hon Minister takes. I look forward to hearing from him.