How important is good primary school education?

I am comforted some what this year at the thought of not having to register my little Daniyal for primary 1 registration. He will be joining his sister in the same primary school. I remember the anxiety of having to ballot for my daughter's place in one of the better schools on the neighbourhood. It was a popular school and as such, balloting was a yearly exercise for that school.

Some parents went one step ahead of me by trying out for elite schools. I admire their determination but really how important is a good primary education for your children? Does putting your children in a good primary school really ensure their success later in their education? What makes a 'good school' anyway? Is it the ability of the school to produce good results? Or do we judge the schools based on its programmes and the ability of the teachers to effectively communicate with the parents? Friends I talked to firmly believe that schools with good results would normally have good teachers and good programmes. I am certainly not in a position to dispute them, really but I also wonder at times does this also necessitates the extra pressure put on the child (and parents) to find a good school 2--30km away from home? I just wonder...really.

I was from a neighbourhood school myself and if I could say so myself, I didn't turn out too bad either. Perhaps, a good home environment is as important as putting your child in a good school as a good home ensures that he/ she would be able to dispel any bad influences. Or is everything taken care of in a "good school"?