Our population increases by appx 1 million every 10 years but our JC and IP programmes did not increase intake by the same %. In fact, more JCs closed down because elite secondary schools created IP programmes and our intake of foreign-born students and scholars surged.
Look at the cut-off points now, it is harder to get into JC now. Even Nanyang JC is 5-6 points now, ACJC is 10 points, CJC is 13.
15-20 years ago, Nanyang & ACJC was like 15 points, CJC 18 points.
In fact, our JC and IP programme remains an 'elite' education in Singapore, you will notice that good ones are concentrated in certain regions, eg. central (Eunoia, Raffles family, , east coast (Victoria, Temasek, Dunman), AMK (Nanyang, SR Anderson - future location), etc. The ultra weak ones are in Jurong, Tampines, Yishun (except River Valley). There is not even one in Northeast.