Getting your child into a “top” school in Singapore is considered a major achievement for many parents. Expatriate families in particular achieve this goal after a lot of research, consultation and planning. However, a different perspective has recently emerged in a TikTok video by a man who has been in the system himself.
According to him, the “elite” school that parents want to be reassured about can sometimes be a source of stress and struggle for their children. The video quickly went viral and sparked a discussion about the real picture of Singapore’s education system.
Pressure from the Start
The man said in his TikTok post that top schools generally don’t wait for students. Instead, they assume that students have already come with a high level of preparation. As a result, the pace of classes is fast from the first day, and many new students struggle to keep up.
This transition is especially difficult for expatriate students. They spend the first few months just trying to adapt. This can reduce their enthusiasm for learning and affect their confidence.
Invisible Competition
The culture of studying in such schools is also quite different. Many students behave normally on the outside, but study for a long time on the inside. This creates a kind of invisible competition, which can be confusing for newcomers. If someone tries harder in public, they are seen differently, while everyone else has to do well.
As a result, social pressure is also created, which is not easy to adapt to. Gradually, this environment can cause mental fatigue.
Pressure of Standards
“Success” cannot be achieved here by simply following the rules, the person mentioned. Students take additional subjects, participate in competitions and seek leadership opportunities. As a result, the “minimum” standards also become very high. This makes many students feel backward.
On the other hand, some feel that this pressure helps them improve their skills. So this environment is challenging on the one hand, and on the other hand, it also creates opportunities for improvement.
Lack of Support
Another big challenge for children of expatriate families is the lack of support, says the TikTok poster. It is difficult to find someone they know or are experienced like local students. As a result, they are left alone when they face problems. Parents often cannot fully understand this environment. This can further increase the mental stress of their children. Many times, their problems are seen as just academic weaknesses, which hides the real problem.
Netizens’ Opinions
Netizens had different opinions on this video. Some said that top schools have more opportunities, so people choose them. Others felt that these schools provide important life lessons that are difficult to get elsewhere.
On the other hand, some said from experience that even if they do well there, there is always pressure to do better. At the same time, many suggested that decisions should be made based on the child’s abilities.
Overall, this discussion made it clear that not only the name, but the child’s usefulness is the most important.
Watch the TikTok post here:
@mkb_academy Tell me if this is you ↓ You’re an expat parent in Singapore. You spent months researching schools. You asked other parents. You did everything that you were supposed to. So when your child finally got into one of the top schools, you felt like you had done your part. But that elite brand you picked to have a peace of mind might be the exact thing making your child struggle in school. Here’s why. 1. Elite schools don’t wait for your child. Most “top schools” in Singapore don’t try to bring your child up to speed. They just assume that your child already is. Because the kind of students that they select are normally capable enough to support themselves. So teachers start at that level from day one, causing your child to spend the entire first term just keeping up. 2. They have a study culture that is hard to adapt to. Students in top schools don’t show that they study. They say that they didn’t prepare, but then go home and study for 6 hours straight. They come back the next day, top the class, and then act surprised. In local slang, it’s called “Closet Mugging”. Anyone who studies “too hard” is considered trying too hard, but everyone is expected to do well for the exams. That causes a social tension that’s hard to get used to, unless you’ve already been in that environment for a long time. 3. Doing what is required is still below the minimum standard. Students in these schools stack extra subjects, go for competitions on top of their CCAs, and fight for leadership positions just to make their school records look nice. Even if your child does everything they’re supposed to, they’ll still be behind everyone else. 4. As an expat, your child has nobody to get help from. Kids in top schools normally know others who went through the same path. Parents, older siblings, or even family friends to call when something doesn’t make sense. But your child only has you. And you don’t know what they’re dealing with either. So either they have to figure it out alone, or just give up. And when they try to tell someone they’re struggling, the response is always the same: “You’re in a top school. What are you complaining about? Just work harder.” From outside, it just looks like an academic problem. The solution? More tuition and more practice papers. But studying was never the problem. The real problem is that your child is spending most of their energy every single day just trying to figure out how to exist in that school. And that drains them in such a way that even they can’t explain to you. That is what the brand name parents chase after actually comes with. And it means nothing if your child is not ready for what is inside it.
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