Sending One's Child To An Elite School

Why are parents in Singapore so kiasu, nervous and panicky when it comes to sending their child into a primary school? Why do they insist on sending their child into a branded, elite school?

I have no problem if the parents are elite themselves who studied well in school and had received distinctions year after year. These parents are from good branded schools themselves and performed well academically.

But I think chances of ordinary parents begetting ordinary kids are higher and only logical.

As I’m not an “elite” parent myself, I’m not in favor of sending my son to a branded school. Whereas my in-laws are pretty much bent on sending my son to a branded school. I have my misgivings about son fitting into and exceling in such a school.

My reasons for not being keen on sending my son into a branded school are simple.

Firstly, it’s not easy getting my son into one since I’m not an old boy from any elite school.

Secondly, I’m not rich and certainly can’t afford to send him to an expensive classy school like ACS (Anglo-Chinese School).

Thirdly, my son has proven to be a non-conformist child. He doesn’t pay as much attention to the teacher in a class like everybody else. He may be bright and clever. But all his brightness and cleverness would come to naught if he doesn’t pay attention in class and does as the teacher instructs.

Fourthly, I don’t like the idea of subjecting him to all the pressure to perform in a branded elite school.

Fifthly, if a child is a non-conformist type, he might get discouraged every year as the yearly ranking of the students in his class would undoubtedly place him among the last few of his class. Such discouragement could well make him even more turned off towards his studies.

I think one of the obvious advantages of an ordinary neighborhood school is its more relaxed pace of study and ranking. A non-elitist, non-gifted child of a couple who are not elite and gifted themselves, would have less of a hard time coping with the stress that comes with studying in the school. In fact, he might be even ranked around 10th to 20th position of his class, somewhere in the middle, where it’s not so discouraging and stressful. No need to be gifted. Just study at a relaxed pace, try to pay attention in class, absorb as much as possible during each class. And get above average results in tests and exams. I'm not saying studying in an ordinary neighborhood school isn't stressful at all. I'm only saying it's less stressful than a branded school.

Isn’t that better than being stressed out in an elite school where the standards are invariably higher and getting results that are below average or only around the passing mark?

One's childhood of learning in school should be filled with enjoyment, fun, laughter. We can prevent our children from being subject to unecessary excessive stress that comes from studying in a branded elite school.

As for parents' concern about gangsters in neighborhood schools, the actual fact and truth of the matter is: Every school has its fair share of bad eggs.

Even so-called elite schools have gangsters too.