Father wins right to choose son's primary school in court tussle with ex-wife

In a recent court ruling, a father in Singapore has been granted the right to choose his son's primary school, despite his ex-wife's attempts to intervene. The divorced couple, who married in 2019 and had a child before divorcing in 2022, had previously agreed to joint custody. From February 2024 onwards, the mother was to have the boy from Wednesday nights until Sunday noon, while the father would have him from Sunday noon until Wednesday noon.

The boy is set to begin primary school in 2027, with both parents wanting him enrolled in their preferred school. When the family court heard the matter in July 2026, after the first phase of admissions had passed, District Judge Goh Zhuo Neng considered various factors to decide which parent should have sole authority over the school registration.

These factors included the school's reputation, alumni association, distance from the child's home, the parent with greater caregiving responsibility, availability of places, and the conduct of the parents that may negatively affect the child's enrollment.

Judge Goh emphasized that the reputation of the school, while popular, is often a fruitless debate as it doesn't account for a child's adaptability or the increased difficulty of securing a place in highly sought-after schools. He also highlighted that distance from the school is crucial, especially during morning assembly times when children must wake up early.

In this case, both parents selected schools within a five-minute radius, but the 30 to 40-minute distance between their homes meant the child would need to travel about 30 minutes each way when with the non-custodial parent.

Ultimately, Judge Goh ruled in favor of the father, allowing him to choose the primary school for his son. If no spots were available at the chosen school, the child would be enrolled at any other available school. Both parents opted for nearby schools, but the father's choice would provide three mornings a week without the need to wake up early for school, a significant advantage over the mother, who would only prepare the child for two full days of school.

Despite the mother's arguments about the father's conduct during the proceedings, the judge found no grounds to override his decision, granting him S$1,000 in costs. The mother has since appealed the decision.