SINGAPORE - Parents hoping to clinch a spot for their children at 81 popular primary schools in Phase 2C of the Primary 1 registration exercise will have to face a ballot.

These schools include Rulang Primary with 84 children vying for 24 places; Northland Primary with 243 children applying for 83 vacancies; and Nan Chiau Primary with 235 children registering for 61 places.

A total of 87 schools were oversubscribed in Phase 2C which closed on Thursday (Aug 1) but six of them will not require balloting, according to figures on the Ministry of Education (MOE) website on Friday. The six schools will give preference to Singapore citizens or Permanent Resident children residing near them who applied because they have the places to cater for them.

Parents of children who have to go through the balloting process will receive the results through text messages on Wednesday (Aug 7) after computerised balloting is done centrally by the Ministry of Education (MOE).

Those whose applications are unsuccessful can register in Phase 2C Supplementary - starting on Aug 12 - for a school with vacancies.

Phase 2C is the fifth of seven phases in the registration exercise and is for children with no ties to the schools. It is considered the most competitive as it sees the most number of schools needing a ballot compared to the earlier stages.

Mrs Shirleen Neo, 37, who is a tuition teacher, registered her son at Nan Chiau Primary. Her family lives within 1km of the school's compound.

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She said: "I am aware it is a popular school - it is nearly four times oversubscribed. But I am teaching many students from primary schools around my home area, and after talking to my students' parents, I do like the Chinese culture in Nan Chiau."

Last year, 99 schools were oversubscribed in Phase 2C. That was the year when 40,600 children born in the Year of the Dragon in 2012 enrolled in school and 2,600 more places were made available for the larger cohort.

MOE told The Straits Times earlier that fewer children - 38,000 - were expected to register in this year's exercise.