Alumni links and affiliations with religious organisations or clans were the least of most parents' considerations when it comes to picking a primary school for their children, according to a survey by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).
This is contrary to the perception that such connections are important in getting children into good schools, said Dr Mathew Mathews, who led the study.
Factors related to a school's external network were less important than attributes such as teacher quality, emphasis on character building and proximity to home. More parents - about seven to nine in 10 - also indicated that support for weaker students, facilities and infrastructure, and range and performance of co-curricular activities were essential qualities.
Amelia Teng