A 42-year-old woman was sentenced to one week in jail on Thursday (November 13) after lying about her address to enrol her daughter in a sought-after primary school in Singapore.
The prosecution had suggested a fine, but District Judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz decided that jail was necessary because of the deliberate and selfish nature of the offence. The woman pleaded with the judge for another chance, saying she could not go to jail and that her daughter needed her.
The woman cannot be named due to a gag order protecting her minor daughter. The order also covers the school’s name, which has since transferred the girl elsewhere.
The court heard that the woman primarily lived with her partner and her eight-year-old daughter at a different address, while leasing out her Housing and Development Board flat since 2023. During the 2023 Primary One registration, she enrolled her daughter using the flat’s address, which was within one kilometre of the school and qualified for priority admission.
When the school learned that her actual residence was outside the priority radius, she falsely insisted she was still living at the flat. The school sent staff to verify the address, but only tenants were found at home. The woman repeatedly instructed the tenants to conceal the truth, including closing windows to hide occupancy, and continued lying to school authorities.
Between August and October 2024, she lied at least five times to keep her daughter enrolled. She also gave false information to a registration officer about her change of address. She represented herself in court, saying she could not afford a lawyer.
Judge Sharmila said education is highly valued in Singapore, and offences that undermine the admissions process strike at the core societal values. She noted that even if no child was directly displaced, each false admission carries the risk of depriving another child and wastes school resources.
She described the woman’s actions as “conscious and deliberate,” driven by “pure self-interest,” involving planning, premeditation, and “active steps to bolster the deception.” She also highlighted that innocent third parties, the tenants, were involved in the scheme.
The judge added, “This demonstrates great persistence and dishonesty. Such serial offending heightens culpability and reflects a total disregard for the law.” She said any personal hardship from the jail term is “an unavoidable consequence” of her conduct and emphasized that honesty and integrity are lessons parents teach their children.
The woman appeared devastated and begged for a fine instead, explaining that her daughter needed daily medication. She said she intended to appeal to the High Court.
MOE Statement
The Ministry of Education said it takes false information for school enrolment seriously. Children found registered based on false addresses may be transferred to schools near their actual residence. Parents who give false information can be investigated by the police and face fines or jail.
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