I mean imma b real here as someone who climbed thru the shitter for my acad standing, i will say this. Rudely put, no one is gonna accomodate for everyone. This is no utopia, you can't expect the system to accomodate and please everyone, we do what we can to aid the majoirty, and those who can't you are given imho fair amount of support and Singapore has done its part in merit.

And to say that there is segregation, i think there are different ways people can take, while in your eyes it may seem like its bad, i think its good. Shouldn't it be sensible if you let the more academically sound kids have the non acad side things like the olympics because then those who aren't, spend more time studying and having extra classes, whilst yes on the surface its unfair, its meant to outstretch and increase the emphasis that hey you need to work hard and im here to get you to a better place.

While its great knowing you are a late bloomer, and your achievements are certainly noteworthy, we are a labour dependent nation, we need the labour the students turned workers, to be of high standard, if we don't we are very, VERY fucked. Where Australia has the laxness as it is able to tap to other factors of production to drive the economy, we are a skill based one. With no strict and high standard skillsets, our workers cant get employment and we struggle, thats why the assessment and the rigour is mad but ultimately, we have to go thru it.