The perpetuation of inequality in Singapore’s meritocratic SAP schools

Abstract

Discussion on SAP schools in Singapore have often been criticised for being discriminatory and going against the meritocratic ideology. Using a phenomenological approach, this study fills the gap in current literature that is overly focused on language policies at the institutional level. This paper aims to critically analyse this claim through the lived experiences of students who were from SAP secondary schools, focusing on the advantages that they have received and how they get perpetuated. The findings are further analysed to explore the unequal impact of the SAP experience on different groups of students.