Why Singaporeans fixate on brand-name schools

Guests discuss cultural emphasis on education and how elite-school identity creates expectations and baggage.

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Transcript

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Transcript

Episode notes

This follows a debate over a school's alumni reaction to an ST report on a major scam operation.

Synopsis: Join Natasha Ann Zachariah at The Usual Place every Thursday as she unpacks the latest current affairs with guests.

It was a crime report meant to highlight the suspects behind a major scam operation, but a nugget of information sparked an uproar over a school’s image.

Last week, The Straits Times reported that two brothers and their cousin were the alleged masterminds running the operation from Phnom Penh.

The group ran a government official impersonation scam that was allegedly responsible for 438 scam cases involving losses of at least $41 million.

The 27 Singaporeans suspected of being members of the organised criminal group are now wanted by the Singapore police.

But that was not what readers were talking about online.

What drew attention was a detail in the Oct 30 report that one of the wanted men, Finan Siow, was said to be a former Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student who once played for the school’s rugby team.

That information – featured in both the article and an infographic – didn’t sit well with the Anglo-Chinese School Old Boys’ Association, which said the school had been singled out.

ST explained its editorial decision.

But the furore around that piece of information, especially from the school’s alumni on social media platforms, was curious.

In this episode of The Usual Place, I speak to two well-known social commentators – comedian Rishi Budhrani, and comedy writer and communication strategist Benjamin “Mr Miyagi” Lee – to find out why we are so fixated on brand-name schools?

Highlights (click/tap above):

2:01 Mr Miyagi and Rishi disclose which school they used to attend

3:39 On the ACS Old Boys’ Association’s forum letter

6:56 Rishi and Benjamin on their own reaction to the ST report

8:34 Brand name schools: Baggage and expectations

13:50 Mr Miyagi on his son’s choice of schools

11:49 Judge on merits and achievements, not school links

16:29 School alumni networks have worth too

22:58 Different experiences of school life

30:14 Education is so valued in Singapore, hence such debates

30:48 Old boys: Making the news for wrong reasons

Read more: ACS Old Boys’ Association’s forum letter and response from ST: https://str.sg/pG4E