Neighbourhood school
Neighbourhood school is a term used in Singapore to denote schools that are located within heartland towns and stereotypically of lower calibre, compared to more "brand-name" schools like Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution and Victoria School.
Description
Neighbourhood schools form the bulk of schools located in heartland districts like Hougang and Jurong. They typically carry the name of the town they are located in. For example, Pasir Ris Secondary School is located in Pasir Ris. It is worth noting though, that this is not always a catch-all identifier - Tanjong Katong Secondary School, for example, though named after the precinct it is located in, is commonly seen as a upper-tier school. The label is often used in a pejorative sense, although it is also used neutrally.
It is widely perceived that neighbourhood schools offer lower-quality education because of the culture and environment in such schools. Neighbourhood school students are also stereotyped as having disciplinary problems and a lack of motivation to excel academically.
Criticism
The label is widely criticized for promoting elitist tendencies in the education system. In response, Minister for Education Heng Swee Keat has rolled out a new policy to effect a paradigm shift - 'Every School is a Good School'. Because of this shift in policy, it is now perceived that parents have effected the "awarding" of prestige to certain elite schools, and not the Ministry of Education.