Raisah Ismail 1
A Sociological Examination of Singapore’s Systemic Inequalities in Academia
Raisah Ismail
Student ID: 99860116
SOCI 302 102
Dr. David Ryniker
17 December 2021
, Raisah Ismail 2
Often regarded as the “Melting Pot of Southeast Asia”, Singapore has attracted much
praise for its diverse population comprised of individuals from different regions around the
world. Since the country’s independence in 1965, Singapore has strictly adhered to the idea of
fostering an equal meritocracy while simultaneously promoting multiculturalism as a
fundamental aspect of the nation’s identity. Meritocracy is defined as “a social system in which
advancement in society is based on an individual's capabilities and merits rather than on the
basis of family, wealth, or social background”.1 However, this system is hampered by the
structural inequalities existing within the country’s various institutions which highlights
underlying racist and discriminatory practices that benefit its dominant ethnic groups at the
expense of its subordinate ethnic groups. Singapore’s educational system serves as a key
mechanism in stratifying its citizens through the use of educational streaming, which in turn
maintains and reinforces its economic hierarchy, leading to stark differences in the economic
and social statuses of the country’s various ethnic groups. Educational streaming refers to the
policy of systematically creating differentiated education paths for students of different levels
of ability.2 Despite the system of educational streaming being highly controversial with much
debate regarding its effectiveness and long-term socio-economic impacts, Singapore continues
to utilise it.3 It can be argued that Singapore’s continued use of educational streaming serves
to maintain its economic hierarchy in which the country’s dominant ethnic Chinese group are
positioned at the top and the country’s subordinate ethnic Indian and Malay groups are
positioned at the bottom. This is further highlighted by the privilege Chinese students enjoy
which are not shared by their Indian and Malay counterparts which are manifested in various
1
Chang-Hee Kim and Yong-Beom Choi, “How Meritocracy Is Defined Today?: Contemporary Aspects of
Meritocracy,” Economics & Sociology 10, no. 1 (June 2017): pp. 112-121, https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-
789x.2017/10-1/8, 1.
2
Maureen T. Hallinan, “Tracking: From Theory to Practice,” Sociology of Education 67, no. 2 (April 1994): pp.
79-84, https://doi.org/10.2307/2112697, 74.
3
Quah May Ling, “The Effects of Streaming on the Self-Concept and Attitude of Primary School Pupils in
Singapore,” Singapore Journal of Education 10, no. 2 (March 2008): pp. 51-58,
https://doi.org/10.1080/02188798908547661, 53.
A Sociological Examination of Singapore’s Systemic Inequalities in Academia
Raisah Ismail
Student ID: 99860116
SOCI 302 102
Dr. David Ryniker
17 December 2021
, Raisah Ismail 2
Often regarded as the “Melting Pot of Southeast Asia”, Singapore has attracted much
praise for its diverse population comprised of individuals from different regions around the
world. Since the country’s independence in 1965, Singapore has strictly adhered to the idea of
fostering an equal meritocracy while simultaneously promoting multiculturalism as a
fundamental aspect of the nation’s identity. Meritocracy is defined as “a social system in which
advancement in society is based on an individual's capabilities and merits rather than on the
basis of family, wealth, or social background”.1 However, this system is hampered by the
structural inequalities existing within the country’s various institutions which highlights
underlying racist and discriminatory practices that benefit its dominant ethnic groups at the
expense of its subordinate ethnic groups. Singapore’s educational system serves as a key
mechanism in stratifying its citizens through the use of educational streaming, which in turn
maintains and reinforces its economic hierarchy, leading to stark differences in the economic
and social statuses of the country’s various ethnic groups. Educational streaming refers to the
policy of systematically creating differentiated education paths for students of different levels
of ability.2 Despite the system of educational streaming being highly controversial with much
debate regarding its effectiveness and long-term socio-economic impacts, Singapore continues
to utilise it.3 It can be argued that Singapore’s continued use of educational streaming serves
to maintain its economic hierarchy in which the country’s dominant ethnic Chinese group are
positioned at the top and the country’s subordinate ethnic Indian and Malay groups are
positioned at the bottom. This is further highlighted by the privilege Chinese students enjoy
which are not shared by their Indian and Malay counterparts which are manifested in various
1
Chang-Hee Kim and Yong-Beom Choi, “How Meritocracy Is Defined Today?: Contemporary Aspects of
Meritocracy,” Economics & Sociology 10, no. 1 (June 2017): pp. 112-121, https://doi.org/10.14254/2071-
789x.2017/10-1/8, 1.
2
Maureen T. Hallinan, “Tracking: From Theory to Practice,” Sociology of Education 67, no. 2 (April 1994): pp.
79-84, https://doi.org/10.2307/2112697, 74.
3
Quah May Ling, “The Effects of Streaming on the Self-Concept and Attitude of Primary School Pupils in
Singapore,” Singapore Journal of Education 10, no. 2 (March 2008): pp. 51-58,
https://doi.org/10.1080/02188798908547661, 53.
