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http://www.asiaone.com/News/Education/Story/A1Story20090420-136340.html
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
The Straits Times
What's your type?
By Tan Yi Hui
Plastic surgeon Woffles Wu says he is getting a sex change and enrolling at Raffles Girls' School (RGS).
No, the 49-year-old has not lost his mind and decided to go under the knife himself. Neither does he want a second education. He is merely joking about his result from an online personality test that tells him he is at heart an RGS girl.
This is the hot pop quiz making the rounds on popular social networking site Facebook. It is called 'Which Singaporean elite school do you belong to?'.
You take 10 personality multiple-choice questions and at the end, it tells you which elite school you belong to, complete with cheeky horoscope-like descriptions of your stereotype.
So far, close to 56,000 users have taken the quiz. Some find it hilarious while others contemplate the tongue-in-cheek dig it makes at the Singapore education system and society in general.
Former students of elite schools whom LifeStyle spoke to, as well as their alumni associations, all agree there is some truth to the stereotypes of how certain elite schools build certain types of characters. But, of course, they all say: Take it with a pinch of salt.
The quiz's creator, lecturer Harvey Neo, 34, says he thought it up in an hour two weeks ago on a 'boring Sunday afternoon'. Mr Neo, who is a product of The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, says he conjured it up 'on a whim', based on observations of friends from various schools.
President of the Old Rafflesians' Association, Dr Lim Ee Koon, 61, says: 'I agree we are predominantly achievement-oriented and goal-driven, having been immersed in a highly competitive environment.'
Over at the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) alumni, president Serene Toh took the quiz and got SCGS as her result. But she disagrees with some of the quiz's descriptions of her stereotype, such as its girls being aristocratic and tai tais.
The 52-year-old general practitioner says: 'Most of my SCGS friends are professional women. We work and support our families. We should not generalise just because of a few black sheep.'
Graduate student Lee Wan Ming, an RGS girl - the real thing this time - says: 'There is a flip side to every stereotype. Being competitive is not necessarily a bad thing. Having a strong will and fighting disposition can be great motivating factors.'
The 28-year-old does find herself a victim of stereotyping, though. She says: 'I tend to get nominated to do group presentations more often than others.
Sometimes, I try not to bring up this topic of the school I attended among acquaintances if possible.
Another misunderstood soul is undergraduate Shaun Yoon, 25, who was from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
He says: 'In university, I encountered the usual elitism nonsense. Other students label ACS boys as arrogant.'
But he admits: 'People always say I sound and look like an ACS boy because of the way I speak - straightforward and funny. Some say I look like an ACS boy because of my 'cheeky face'.'
Post-graduate student Woon Chih Yuan, 28, who came from Jurong Secondary School and later went to National Junior College, agrees that the stereotypes for elite schools are true to some degree, but many people oversubscribe to them.
He points out: 'When I say I was from Jurong Secondary, they say I speak English too well to be from a neighbourhood school. Such comments are very telling.'
Dr Wu has also encountered cases of mistaken identity. He was a Saint Andrew's boy but says the alumni of a more elite school once assumed he was one of their own and invited him to be on their board.
So what is with this fixation with categorising people into elite school stereotypes? Mr Woon says: 'Because of the hierarchical system, top schools have a hyped-up appeal.'
Freelance journalist Sim Ee Waun, 41, a member of the Methodist Girls' School (MGS) Alumnae Association, says it is also down to 'long histories and strong traditions'. She adds: 'That makes a big difference as it anchors students in these schools and imbues in them a sense of belonging.'
As to whether which elite school a person is from plays a role in professional life, the executive director of Singapore Human Resources Institute, Mr David Ang, says it is like a brand name.
He explains that employers may target students of a particular school whose stereotype character fits a particular job.
However, they should be 'objective and look at skill sets' and not succumb to prejudices or favouritism.
Mr Ang does acknowledge the extensive networks of the various alumni might mean more opportunities and open doors for these students in their careers.
At the end of the day, an elite school on a resume might not mean a higher social standing in life. Says Rafflesian Dr Lim: 'Neighbourhood schools have caught up and high achievers can be from any school.'
MGS's Ms Sim sums it up: 'Social standing ultimately depends on the worth of the individual, regardless of which school he comes from.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
Tue, Apr 21, 2009
The Straits Times
What's your type?
By Tan Yi Hui
Plastic surgeon Woffles Wu says he is getting a sex change and enrolling at Raffles Girls' School (RGS).
No, the 49-year-old has not lost his mind and decided to go under the knife himself. Neither does he want a second education. He is merely joking about his result from an online personality test that tells him he is at heart an RGS girl.
This is the hot pop quiz making the rounds on popular social networking site Facebook. It is called 'Which Singaporean elite school do you belong to?'.
You take 10 personality multiple-choice questions and at the end, it tells you which elite school you belong to, complete with cheeky horoscope-like descriptions of your stereotype.
So far, close to 56,000 users have taken the quiz. Some find it hilarious while others contemplate the tongue-in-cheek dig it makes at the Singapore education system and society in general.
Former students of elite schools whom LifeStyle spoke to, as well as their alumni associations, all agree there is some truth to the stereotypes of how certain elite schools build certain types of characters. But, of course, they all say: Take it with a pinch of salt.
The quiz's creator, lecturer Harvey Neo, 34, says he thought it up in an hour two weeks ago on a 'boring Sunday afternoon'. Mr Neo, who is a product of The Chinese High School and Hwa Chong Junior College, says he conjured it up 'on a whim', based on observations of friends from various schools.
President of the Old Rafflesians' Association, Dr Lim Ee Koon, 61, says: 'I agree we are predominantly achievement-oriented and goal-driven, having been immersed in a highly competitive environment.'
Over at the Singapore Chinese Girls' School (SCGS) alumni, president Serene Toh took the quiz and got SCGS as her result. But she disagrees with some of the quiz's descriptions of her stereotype, such as its girls being aristocratic and tai tais.
The 52-year-old general practitioner says: 'Most of my SCGS friends are professional women. We work and support our families. We should not generalise just because of a few black sheep.'
Graduate student Lee Wan Ming, an RGS girl - the real thing this time - says: 'There is a flip side to every stereotype. Being competitive is not necessarily a bad thing. Having a strong will and fighting disposition can be great motivating factors.'
The 28-year-old does find herself a victim of stereotyping, though. She says: 'I tend to get nominated to do group presentations more often than others.
Sometimes, I try not to bring up this topic of the school I attended among acquaintances if possible.
Another misunderstood soul is undergraduate Shaun Yoon, 25, who was from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and Anglo-Chinese Junior College.
He says: 'In university, I encountered the usual elitism nonsense. Other students label ACS boys as arrogant.'
But he admits: 'People always say I sound and look like an ACS boy because of the way I speak - straightforward and funny. Some say I look like an ACS boy because of my 'cheeky face'.'
Post-graduate student Woon Chih Yuan, 28, who came from Jurong Secondary School and later went to National Junior College, agrees that the stereotypes for elite schools are true to some degree, but many people oversubscribe to them.
He points out: 'When I say I was from Jurong Secondary, they say I speak English too well to be from a neighbourhood school. Such comments are very telling.'
Dr Wu has also encountered cases of mistaken identity. He was a Saint Andrew's boy but says the alumni of a more elite school once assumed he was one of their own and invited him to be on their board.
So what is with this fixation with categorising people into elite school stereotypes? Mr Woon says: 'Because of the hierarchical system, top schools have a hyped-up appeal.'
Freelance journalist Sim Ee Waun, 41, a member of the Methodist Girls' School (MGS) Alumnae Association, says it is also down to 'long histories and strong traditions'. She adds: 'That makes a big difference as it anchors students in these schools and imbues in them a sense of belonging.'
As to whether which elite school a person is from plays a role in professional life, the executive director of Singapore Human Resources Institute, Mr David Ang, says it is like a brand name.
He explains that employers may target students of a particular school whose stereotype character fits a particular job.
However, they should be 'objective and look at skill sets' and not succumb to prejudices or favouritism.
Mr Ang does acknowledge the extensive networks of the various alumni might mean more opportunities and open doors for these students in their careers.
At the end of the day, an elite school on a resume might not mean a higher social standing in life. Says Rafflesian Dr Lim: 'Neighbourhood schools have caught up and high achievers can be from any school.'
MGS's Ms Sim sums it up: 'Social standing ultimately depends on the worth of the individual, regardless of which school he comes from.'
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
