The Usual Place Podcast
What’s with the fixation over brand-name schools?
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Why are we so fixated on certain brand-name schools?
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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. two brothers and their cousin were the alleged masterminds running the operation from Phnom Penh.
Last week, The Straits Times reported that
The group ran a government official impersonation scam that was allegedly responsible for 438 scam cases involving losses of at least $41 million. members of the organised criminal group are now wanted by the Singapore police.
The 27 Singaporeans suspected of being
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):
3:30 Mr Miyagi and Rishi disclose which school they used to attend
5:40 On the ACS Old Boys’ Association’s forum letter
10:35 Brand name schools: Baggage and expectations
13:50 Mr Miyagi on his son’s choice of schools
16:23 Judge on merits and achievements, not school links
18:30 School alumni networks have worth too
24:58 Different experiences of school life
32:15 Education is so valued, hence such debates
32:49 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
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