‘Hey, which school do you come from?’ ‘Oh, do you know that I was from Raffles? Raffles is the best school in Singapore.’ ‘Gosh, I cannot believe that you came from a neighbourhood school. Are neighbourhood school students dumb?’ Since time immemorial, the obsession with good schools has plagued Singapore, with many being piqued with curiosity whenever someone mentions schools. In Singapore, where schools are determinants of your academic prowess and your perceived intelligence, many often gush when they hear that someone is from an elite school but wince at the other upon hearing that he was from a neighbourhood school. Even though many would have moved on with their lives upon graduation, the school where they came from would unfortunately be a dark shadow behind them, causing them to feel uncomfortable whenever someone brings up the topic of schools.

This is the reality that many Singaporeans confront on a regular basis as this dark shadow is cast behind them and is a stark reminder of their position and status in society. Even though the then-Minister of Education, Heng Swee Keat, tried his best to remove labels of schools conferred by society, and to eliminate the disparity between neighbourhood and elite schools by constantly emphasising his stance that ‘every school is a good school’, it unfortunately is a quixotic statement laden with nothing but unrealistic hopes. This is because in reality, one simply cannot ignore the stark differences between neighbourhood and elite schools and the vast disparity between the two entities. Even though this statement was uttered a considerable amount of time ago, it has continuously been the subject of controversy that even until today, the mention of that statement will still provoke a national outcry because many cannot not help but to contest that truism, even lambasting that it is extremely tone deaf. Hence, having a general statement ‘every school is a good school’ sorely obfuscates the differences between neighbourhood and elite schools, even serving to perpetuate the gapping divide.

To fully comprehend the vast differences between neighbourhood and elite schools, it is imperative to define what an elite school is. If one does a quick google search and types ‘elite schools in Singapore’, one would notice schools such as Raffles Institution or Hwa Chong Institute listed at the top of the page. However, an elite school is so much more than just the fancy name attached to it. In my opinion, an elite school is a school that fulfils the following criteria. An elite school is located in areas where the wealthy reside in Singapore, has high barriers of entry into the school such as taking in academically competent students, possesses a wealth of resources for holistic student development and has a strong alumni network. It also must conjure the image of prestige and allure of a status conferred and bestowed upon one upon the mention of such schools. In contrast, a neighbourhood school is defined as a school that is located in the heartlands of Singapore, which are areas where ordinary folks like you and I reside. It is a school that falls short of these aforementioned criteria and will arouse negative sentiments such as assuming that one is ‘stupid’ or even extending it to one’s life trajectory, dismissing one as ‘being unable to make it in life, ever’.

We see educational inequality manifesting in various facets in life, ranging from the point when one steps into the education system to clinching workplace opportunities later on in life. It is a fact that educational inequality unfortunately does not relinquish its grip over one despite the person leaving the education system for a long time. With such inequality being so systemic and persistent, it is hence imperative to start recognising that such stark differences simply cannot be ignored, because of its debilitating and undesirable effects that one would be haunted by even as they leave the education system.