Thread by @ngyiyang, I want to address the question on why the top schools are [...]

I want to address the question on why the top schools are clustered around bukit timah. So let's just take a look at the "elite" schools that are in the general area- #GE2020SG

Methodist Girls School-
Moved to BT from Mount Sophia in 1992 due to rising numbers. https://www.mgs.moe.edu.sg/about-us/our-heritage

Hwa Chong Institution-
Moved to BT from Niven Rd in 1925. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hwa_Chong_Institution#History

Nanyang Primary School-
Moved to BT from Dhoby Ghaut in 1927
https://wiki.alumni.net/wiki/Asia/Singapore/Nanyang_Primary_School/

Nanyang Girl's High School-
Moved to BT from Dhoby Ghaut in 1931
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanyang_Girls%27_High_School

Pei Hwa Primary -
Founded in BT in 1889
http://moe.gov.sg/news/speeches/speech-by-mr-heng-swee-keat--minister-for-education--at-and8220pei-hwa-jubileeand8221--pei-hwa-presbyterian-primary-schooland8217s-125th-anniversary--on-wednesday--29-january-2014--at-730pm--at-pei-hwa-presbyterian-primary-school

Raffles Girl's Primary School -
Moved to BT in 1999
https://rafflesgirlspri.moe.edu.sg/about-us/history#:~:text=About%20Us%20%3E%20History-,History,to%20become%20an%20educational%20institution.

Bukit Timah Primary School -
Moved to BT in 2001.
https://bukittimahpri.moe.edu.sg/school-info/school-history

National Junior College -
Moved from a few blocks down within BT in 1997
https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_1015_2011-06-22.html#:~:text=National%20Junior%20College%20(NJC)%20was,nation's%20top%20pre%2Duniversity%20students.

It's interesting that many of these schools moved from the Dhoby Ghaut area in the downtown to "rural" Bukit Timah (Keeping in mind that in prewar Singapore public transportation was barely there) - a likely result of the affluence of the area, even in the 1800's.

The Bukit Timah area has historically been an area of plantations, villas and rich merchants, while the downtown was full of immigrants who hadn't made it yet, tenements, and chaos.
So it is natural that schools moved to where those who could afford it went.

Most of the schools in BT are also considered elite as well. (Qn: Is BTPS elite?)

Other schools in the area include Henry Park Primary School, ACS, RGS and SCGS. All are also considered to be elite schools.
So there seems to be a clustering of elite schools in the southwest.

But then you look to the east and you also see "elite" schools along the southern east coast. Dunman High, Victoria JC, Tao Nan, Chung Cheng Main, TKGS.

Many of these schools have a rich history and strong alumni networks.

Of all the schools mentioned above, most are located in what I would consider the old town of singapore - and forgive me historians, but I classify the old town as areas with large percentages of heritage shophouses, and colonial era housing, and not planned by the URA.

This brings me to my point - is the clustering intentional by the government, or an result of the history of the area?
From what it seems to me - many of these schools are in the area for a long time - even before the Land Acquistion Act reorganised the city plan.

However, MGS, RGPS, and BTPS moved to Bukit Timah in the 1990's. (I'm excluding NJC because it was founded in the area already) I have no explaination for this choice, though no doubt this created more clustering in the area.

So the end result is that there are many "elite" schools - elite because of decades of alumni support and being able to attract talent; schools that existed before reorganisation under MOE.

And yet the majority of Singaporeans stay in HDB estates, away from these areas. The closest HDB development are isolated infill developments, like the cluster in Holland V and Toh Yi. So bringing the "normal" people into these rich areas weren't much of a possibility -

due to a lack of free land in the area - so what about relocating schools out of bukit timah?

Other than government schools, it would be insanely hard to force a school to uproot their long historical heritage, but it might be possible. But at what cost?

Risk upsetting the alumni network of elites that permeate the working industry, serving in executive boards, as directors, CEOs; the very people that the government looks to for support?
Not to mention that many in the govt would be reluctant to do so too.

And where would schools move to? The heartlands, woodlands, yishun, pasir ris?

The problem is that the rich are also the most mobile- and where the schools go, the rich will follow. Housing prices will go up, the poorer leave, and the cycle repeats.

So I think that's why the government has chosen to go with the route of elevating all schools to the same standard.
Unfortunately, it seems like it will take decades to build up other schools to the "level" that "elite" schools are at.

I do not think there will be a flawless solution - a system of cycling teachers and principals around different schools might help, but at the end of the day, unless all schools are a single, unified entity, differences will remain. And I would strongly warn against such.

And I guess that is why MOE has also decided that while we level academic standards across schools, we should embrace the differences - through the DSA programme and CCAs, different schools can bring to the table and support different interests.

As @jamuslim has mentioned, education should not be about replication but about empowering students to be thinkers and solvers - and as a student who has been through the education system, I wholly agree! Though it is important that we still teach the basics and learn them well,

...let's be more supportive of out of the box thinking. And I think MOE has recognised and is trending in that direction as well, deemphasizing PSLE grades.

You can't force someone to learn something new, but you can relieve their burden so that they ARE ABLE to do so.

What the rest of society needs to do now is to respond to this change and encourage their children, loved ones to be explorers- see the outdoors, learn how the world works. Discover interests! Form hobbies! Do sports!

This would not only allow students to develop diverse points of view, but also create a vibrant society of people with passion! #PassionMadePossible ?

And I agree with CSJ on this - Education IS the great leveller.

With meritocracy as a guiding value- it is important that schools are not just equal, but also equitable. And while we lament that meritocracy is only an ideal and not a reality, we should continue to support those marginalised around us, and lift everyone up whatever way we can.

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