Jack Neo has chosen to use the simple yet hilarious story of three young children and their families from different social backgrounds to create a social satire touching on issues of education streaming, the importance of the Chinese language and the focus on academic excellence.

Kok Pin, Boon Hock and Terry are classmates in EM3. In Singapore, that means that at the age of 12, the government has decided that they are not as academically inclined as their peers who have been placed in an express or normal stream. Kok Pin is creative and a born artist but his parents would rather he focus on his Maths and Sciences. Boon Hock comes from a poor family and needs to balance school and helping out at the hawker stall. Terry, a spoilt brat is just too lazy a student. Much misunderstanding occurs amongst the friends because Terry has been brought up to mind his own business and not stand up for his friends. But when Terry, despite his fear of pain, offers to donate his bone marrow to save Kok Pin's mother at a crucial moment, the boys realise their true friendship.

While the three children suffer from the pressure of school, their parents have another set of problems.

Kok Pin's mother is passed over for a promotion because she does not have a university degree. His father, a Chinese advertising copywriter is struggling to move ahead at work where Caucasian and the English language means authority at most advertising agencies. Terry's father family business runs into a crisis when a competitive "Ba Gua" company from Taiwan sets up a chain of shops in Singapore .

When Terry's father goes to an agency to seek advertising help for his ailing business due to a newly opened "Ba Gua" (Pork Jerky) store from Taiwan, he opts for a creative from the Creative Director rather than a better campaign by Kok Pin's father because of an unpleasant encounter with Kok Pin's father earlier. The Chinese New Year "Ba Gua" campaign ends up in a mess. Kok Pin's father decides to help Terry's father and convinces him to try his campaign. It was a big success.

Following the story of Kok Pin's and Terry's family, we see the different issues faced by Singapore families in a light hearted sometimes almost silly situation.

故事简介

文福、国彬和迭利三个好朋友都读EM3，虽然他们三人都来自不同的家庭环境，但不同的父母给予的不同教育也直接影响了他们形成不同的性格和日后的待人处世。

三个读书都不厉害的小孩在进入EM3这种班级后，小小的心灵才逐渐的感受到残酷的现实社会对小孩也没有优待。陈太给国彬的压力最大，因为陈太深受没有文凭之害不希望儿子步她后尘，因此国彬在妈妈压力下的苦不是外人可以理解的。文福自从被表哥刺激之后激起了自尊心，发誓一定要证明自己给表哥看，同时替坐牢的父亲和辛苦养家的母亲争一口气，让他们可以在家族面前抬得起头。迭利看来最幸福，他无需为学业担心，虽然他的成绩烂到不能再烂，可是因为家里有钱，父母已经为他的前途做好准备，因此读书只不过是在过日子。然而，娇生惯养的迭利真的幸福吗？在家有父母照顾的迭利在同学眼里其实是一个窝囊废！迭利活着的价值经常受到各种挑战，在同学的冷嘲热讽下，迭利开始寻找自己的定位。

故事透过这三个小孩让大家看看新加坡的教育政策（学校和非学校）如何影响我们每个人的生活，政府为了要精英，把学生分门别类来教导，家长为了要孩子成龙，使尽法宝想尽方法的去达到目标，可怜的孩子就这样无助的挑战着不知道是谁定下来的游戏规则，一次又一次。。。

国彬害怕成绩不好被打，讲义气的文福在测验时让他偷看自己的答案，结果双双被捉，国彬了解妈妈知道他作弊他必死无疑，于是不敢回家四处游荡，最后被带回警察局，紧张的刘夫妇幸运的从警察局带国彬回家，夫妇俩也因为对体罚孩子而意见分歧大吵。

邱先生开除的一位中国经理因为急需拿钱回家只好铤而走险绑架迭利，阴差阳错也把文福邦走。两个平时都有人照顾的小孩在一个陌生危险的环境里自力更生，个人的性格一览无疑。

刘太太被检验患上血癌，为了要让母亲有生之年可以看到一个她最渴望的好成绩，国彬发奋图强努力读书，然而，现实还是残酷的。国彬无法拿到母亲心目中的成绩，伤心的国彬责备自己无能，可是到了这个阶段，刘太太的心境也已不同，她认为只要国彬是打从心底尽了力，拿什么成绩，做妈妈的都应该开心。

为了挽救刘太太的性命，全校师生和家长都来验血，终于发现迭利的骨髓可以配对。一向来都没有为朋友做过任何事情的迭利终于救了国彬母亲一命，这个壮举让他知道活在这个世界上快乐的真正意义。

刘先生和邱先生也因为这件事而冰释所有误会，两人一起联手出击，终于把肉干的市场抢了回来。

本故事有许多暗场，利用小孩和成人之间发生的事件来比喻新加坡人和政府之间的微妙关系，成人观众将会看到许多过去熟悉的事件在剧情巧妙的铺排和包装下从不同的角度来讨论。