03/09/2026
Choosing a Primary 1 school stressful enough. For one divorced couple in Singapore, the disagreement actually ended up in court.
The parents share care and control of their child, but each wanted the child enrolled in a school near their respective homes. They live around 30 to 40 minutes apart.
The Family Justice Courts eventually gave the father authority to choose the primary school.
Why? Travelling time and those precious morning sleeping hours.
The judge noted that primary school assembly usually starts around 7.30am. Letting the father choose would mean the child could avoid waking up as early on three mornings each week.
Interestingly, the court said a school’s reputation can be a “popular but often fruitless” area of debate. Prestige alone doesn’t show whether a child will actually thrive there.
Distance, caregiving responsibilities, available places and the parents’ conduct can all matter.
When parents share caregiving equally but live far apart, should shorter travelling time outweigh a school’s reputation?
This is Truly SG 🇸🇬
Source: Family Justice Courts, [2026] SGFC 123
