Social Stratification

Is Singapore's education system working effectively, where children whose parents are of a higher social background having an advantage against their not so well to do peers? This is relatively common in Singapore's mainstream society. And it is of a great concern for Singapore, since Singapore strongly believes in meritocracy, whereby intelligence and not how affluence one is are valued strongly. It seemed like in the education system of Singapore, there are some kinds of social stratification. Since the richer children attended the more prestigious schools, while the not so well to do children attends neighborhood school. This had been the trend for over a decade or two already.

One must be reminded that a child social position is ascribed once he or she is born. It thus meant that if the child's family background is rich, the particular child would be born rich, with a silver spoon in their mouth. Thus, this would in a way be a major influencing factor in the child's formative upbringing years.

For instance, if the child is born with a silver spoon in his mouth, his lifestyle would be different from a child whose parents are not so well to do. He would be enrolled at Morris Allen pre-school, and not PCF kindergarten (in the case of the not so well to do parents). The richer child would be learning the multiplication table at 3 years old, while the other child would just start to count from one to hundred.

Upon their enrollment in Primary school, since the richer child's parents are very rich, they would be staying at some huge bungalows along District 10. Since their houses would be situated within a 5 kilometers radius of the prestigious schools in the vicinity such as Raffles Girls Primary School, Pei Hwa Presbyterian Primary School and the likes, they would be given a priority for their child to enroll in the schools.

This thus gives the not so well to do parents a certain disadvantage. Since they are most likely to be living in a HDB flat at a working class district like Woodlands, which is quite a distance away from the prestigious school. Thus, because they stay far away from the school, it would be virtually impossible for their child to enroll at the school.

So, this clearly illustrates to us that social stratification does not truly benefit everyone.

This clearly is in conformance with the conflict perspective whereby every society will be stratified by power. Where the rich and powerful would fight for scared resources and this would thus led to social inequality.

The scared resources in this case would be the slots allocated in the prestigious schools. The rich who are staying in the area would thus be automatically given a place. However, the not so well to do would be deprive of an equal standing. This thus does not allow both the rich and the not so well to do an equal footing. Also, the rich would ensure the poor would not be given a slot in the school.

This thus shows us that people of different social class would be granted certain benefits. The richer ones would have the money and power to ensure that their child would be able to enroll in the prestigious school, while the not so rich parents are not able to do anything. Since it is likely where both parents are working and is not likely to have spare time to volunteer in the school for their child to enroll in the school under admission phase 2B.

It meant that people of different social class would be treated differently. The richer one would be treated with more respect and dignity than the not so rich one. The richer one would be able to enroll in the prestigious school automatically.

So in the case in Singapore, social stratification does have its bane.