... environment which emphasizes the importance of the presentation of oneself with gentility and class. All independent schools are single-sex schools (excluding the Sports School) thus it is easier to cultivate a student into a refined individual without the distraction of the opposite sex. In contrast, government schools do not put as much emphasis on savoir faire. Most of them are coeducational thus any outlandish behaviour that might occur between opposite sexes in school will affect the chances of these students making cultured manners a constant in their lives. Hence, independent school students are perceived to be elitist because the way they carry themselves may be misinterpreted as arrogant. Thirdly, an important factor is the difference between educational achievement levels. Some of the few independent schools have adopted a different streaming scheme - the Integrated Programme - compared to other schools in Singapore. While most schools stream students according to ...

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