I believe that schools prepare students in elite schools and neighbourhood schools differently, in the sense of the different subjects and different institution methods. Why do I say that?

First, schools prepare students in elite schools in the more academic way, making sure most of them can make it into junior colleges(Pre-U) then to the university. However, neighbourhood school students are trained to be more technical, as they are not as smart compared to the elite school students, so they can head towards polytechnics or ITE, which will help further their studies in a more technical, hands-on manner.

This will of course lead to the different subjects the different students take. Elite schools offers the more academic subjects like science and maths. Neighbourhood schools offers the more technical subjects like Design & Technology, Nutrition and Arts. This enable students from neighbourhood schools to go into their areas of interest even if they are not academically abled. Most elite schools do not offer Arts for O levels, because they know their students are capable of making into Pre-U, achieving better. So they are able to focus on Science & maths subjects, which parents usually also perceive as the better core subjects for their children.

Zhenxiu

As the school fees of elite schools are higer than neighbouring schools, schools are able to have funds to build a school with better facilities. It is common to see large running tracks, swimming pools or tennis courts in elite schools while neighbouring schools only have a field. With better facilities, students are able to excel not only in the studies, but also in sports.

In conclusion, elite schools give students the opportunity to excel in both studies and sports.

Elite schools are different from neighbourhood schools in the sense that most elite schools have their own freedom to decide on how their schools are going to be run.

Elite schools run in the autonomous way to decide their own activities and enrichment programmes for the students. Students from elite schools, thus, have the opportunity to learn more things from these activities that are not offered through neighbourhood schools. Also, elite schools may have their own unique facilities that not many schools can afford to have. For example, some elite secondary schools have their own running tracks or even their own gyms for their students to use.

In other words, neighbourhood schools which are fully governed would seldom have their own funds or space to build these facilities as governments make most of the decisions of how the schools are going to be built and funds are usually provided by the government to build the school facilities.

Zhenxiu

I believe that elite schools are different from neighborhood schools in a way that they have more freedom to their decision in running the school as most of them are autonomous schools or independent schools. For example, the Integrated Programme which main aim was to allow allows top performing secondary students to proceed to Junior College without taking the 'O' were mostly introduced in those school that were autonomous and independent ones and not to the neighbourhood schools. This can be also used to deem that student from elite school are more “better” than those student coming from the neighborhood schools.

In my opinion, elite schools are different from neighbouring schools.

In terms of student:

Elite schools:
- Students are excellent in acadamic to be accpeted into the school.
- Students have self motivation.
- Students are intelligent.

Neighbouring schools:
- Students are average in acadamic.
- Students need motivation from others.
- Students are not as intelligent as students from elite schools.

In terms of school:

Elite schools:
- Most elite schools are autonomous.
- Schools have more freedom to decide how they want to run the school.
- Schools have more funds to have better facilities or more special programmes to help the students to excel.

Neighbouring schools:
- Most neighbouring schools are government aided.
- Schools have to follow the government's path to run the school.
- Schools have limited funds to encourage special programmes for students.

In parents' point of view:

Elite schools:
- Students are mostly well behaved.
- Good influence eg. conducive study environment.
- Their children will have a better future as the school is well-known.

Neighbouring schools:
- Some students have bad attitude towards studying.
- Bad influence eg. bad study environment.

I feel that this comparison is not very agreeable and feasible as both schools have a different environment and student/staff culture. Although this is, superficially, a comparison within the education system of Singapore, this comparison is indeed invalid as this applies to what each school have to offer. Let me illustrate this particular analogy to you:

Let's assume that all schools are fruits. Neighbourhood schools are regarded as oranges and elite schools as apples. So, in this example, a comparison can only be made superficially, and although they are all fruits, they are different inside and only a rough comparison on probably what each schools offer can be made. A discussion cannot be facilitated to the fullest extent as it would be a unfair comparison.

That being said, neighbourhood school and elite schools have different methods of educating their students. And due to the fact that there are different types on students in different schools, schools have to adapt their teaching syllabus accordingly to make their students understand the concepts taught to the fullest.

With different methods of educating the students, a comparison cannot be and says which school is better because ultimately, it is the parents that decide what they want for their child's education. This methodology of comparing schools is the ultimate paradox in mainstream education. We should make comparisons, yes, I acknowledge that, but we should make comparisons that are relative to personal benefit as education is orienteered towards the students, not society as a whole.

So, in my view, of course, the elite schools do offer a better standard of education and facilities, and as a whole, a more constructive and interactive student culture, along with better infrastructural support and therefore leaving more room for a student’s holistic education, but that being said, it is not for everyone. Mainstream neighbourhood schools offer a more academically-orientated environment for the students, where learning is much more intensive but rather repetitious, but it leaves less room for holistic education, student culture and of course, facilities. This is the comparison that I can make as an observer, but I cannot draw any personal comments due to the nature and structure of this debate topic.

Normally students in elite schools have the opportunity to take up more subjects compared to students from neighbouring schools. Such subjects are like 3rd languages, music and performing arts. All these mostly differentiate elite schools from neighbouring schools.

To conclude, elite schools are different from neighbouring schools as the subjects the school offers is different.

Liang Jiaqun

Student from elite school also have a greater degree of opportunities for their future studies as most government and government-linked scholarship awardees are from those elite school as compared to those scholarship being awarded to student from neighborhood school.

Ka Kit

I feel that elite schools are definitely different from neighbourhood schools to a certian extent. Other than the normal lessons from the textbooks, most elite schools teach more than what's in the textbook. Because students are smarter in the whole, teachers are able to finish the syllabus in a shorter time. Thus this enables teachers to teach more so that the students will be more knowledgeable.

To conclude, students in elites schools have the advantage to learn more than students from neighbouring schools.

Liang Jiaqun

I feel that elite schools are indeed different from neighbourhood schools. I, personally, came from a so-called elite secondary school. Wonder why did I use "so-called" elite? This is because my secondary school is not among the top elite schools, but it is still a SAP school, therefore it is still considered as an elite school.

From my four years of experience studying in an elite school, I was taught more than what I am supposed to know in my course of study in many subjects. Compared to my two sisters who went to neighbourhood schools, they are taught mostly according to the textbooks while I gain knowledge that are outside textbooks. I have friends in top elite schools who told me they learnt things that are beyond their level of study and they enjoy that. That is one of the difference between elite schools and neighbourhood schools. Students from elite schools get learn more knowledge about the world without having to stick strictly to their textbooks.

Zhenxiu

Elite Schools is different from neighbourhood Schools. Discuss.