'Children are not stupid') is a 2002 Singaporean comedy film about the lives, struggles and adventures of three Primary 6 pupils who are placed in the academically inferior EM3 stream.

Terry, Kok Pin and Boon Hock are often bullied for being in the "stupid" stream, which eventually leads to a fight during which one of the bullies who happened to be Boon Hock's cousin named Ang Tiong Meng (Jed Tay) from the EM1 Stream, is accidentally injured after having a scuffle with Kok Pin and his face was hit by the fence.

This is because Tiong Meng was the one who bullied Terry, Kok Pin and Boon Hock by provoking them and looking down on them for their poor Mathematics test results.

In the Discipline Mistress Office led by Miss Tan (Patricia Mok), Kok Pin and Boon Hock explain what happened, where Tiong Meng and his mother Mrs. Ang No.

2 (Lim Kwee Hiok) were also present, but Terry declines to testify on their behalf, following his mother Mrs. Khoo's instructions to "mind his own business", which infuriates Kok Pin and Boon Hock and then causes trouble between the three close and good friends.

Jerry Khoo's company as the managing director known as Good Friend Bakkwa (好朋友肉干) is a Client for Mr. Liu's Firm, being an advertising agency.

Eventually, the clients like John's shampoo proposal over that of Mr Liu and Ben's, and therefore John and his team won the challenge and continued working as the creative director at the advertising agency, whereas Mr. Liu and Ben then officially resigns and set up their own advertising agency elsewhere and managed to help Jerry Khoo with his bakkwa proposal.

This film criticises many aspects of modern Singaporean Culture, including streaming in the education system, deference to authority, and sociocultural stereotypes.

The film can be read as an allegory for Singaporean society – the pampered protagonist and narrator, Terry Khoo, is an "everyman";[2] deferent and coddled, with a domineering mother and affluent father.

The subsequent stigma placed upon the narrator illustrates how the Singaporean education system promotes academic elitism, with students in lower streams looked down upon as inferior, making it harder for them to catch up and realise their potential (see golem effect), even if they are not necessarily stupid.

[3][4][5] This kiasu mentality puts mounting pressure upon the protagonists of the film, confounding them as they attempt to improve their standing and ameliorate their reputation in a society which judges them "worthless".

[2] Terry's Mother, Mrs. Khoo, is a "thinly veiled stand-in for the Singapore Government", whose "mother-knows-best" mentality is well-meaning, but strips her children of their freedom.

Neo and his wife were moved to "holding hands and crying after seeing the love shared by the children", which motivated him to make his own movie about youth.

After speaking with parents to find topics to discuss in his film, Neo learned that due to problems with the Singaporean education system, specifically streaming, students face considerable academic and emotional stress.

[7] In exploring these ideas, Neo spent over two years researching and editing the script — checking scenes for accuracy, verifying facts, and drafting dialogue.

[8] Altogether, the work went through thirteen different revisions, and saw over 50 children audition for the lead roles,[9] before Neo decided to send the film into production.

[8] This production was carried out by Raintree Pictures on a budget of S$900,000,[1] sponsored by Bee Cheng Hiang, Yeo Hiap Seng and Sunshine Bakeries.

[5] In contrast, FilmAsia reviewer Soh Yun-Huei, found it "most shocking...that the Singapore censors actually allowed this film through in the first place".