Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat once said, ‘every school is a good school.” Yet, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong himself noted during his first National Day Rally speech in August that not everyone is convinced when MOE says 'every school is a good school'. He pointed out that Singaporeans will have their own preferences and considerations for their school choices, and 'it will not be possible to convince everyone'.

But what is the argument for choosing to go to a good or legacy school? Does going to a so-called 'not good' school close doors to opportunities? 

Who does it matter to: parents, tutors or children? And is it time we retire this notion once and for all? 

On The Hot Seat, Hongbin Jeong speaks with Emil Lim, Founder of First Principles Education and Jason Tan, Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education.