After an MP’s “lousy school” comment in Parliament went viral this week, it sparked intense online discussion on educational backgrounds, with some questioning if his earlier comment on Singapore’s schools still holds true.
While some people may think some schools are better than others, there are several Singaporeans who have proven that you don’t need to go to an “elite school” to succeed in life.
Secondary School Dropout In Singapore Who Made It Big
Dr Tan See Leng, 56
Image courtesy: Tan Se Leng Instagram
As the MP of Marine Parade GRC, Minister of Manpower and Second Minister of Trade, one would expect Dr Tan See Leng to come from an illustrious background.
Surprisingly, the down-to-earth MP went to Monk’s Hill Primary School and Monk’s Hill Secondary School before enrolling in National Junior College.
After which, he got into the National University of Singapore (NUS) and obtained a Bachelor of Medicine and a Bachelor of Surgery in 1988 and a Master of Medicine Family Medicine in 1998.
Prior to getting into politics, he founded Healthway Medical Group and was part of Parkway Holdings.
Pritam Singh, 45
Image courtesy: Pritam Singh Instagram
Many people in Singapore know Pritam Singh as the leader of the Worker’s Party. Apart from that, he is also a lawyer at Donaldson & Burkinshaw LLP.
But before entering the world of law and politics, he had humble beginnings at Woodsville Primary School and Belvedere Primary School.
After graduating from the Normal stream at Saint Thomas Secondary School, Singh attended Jurong Junior College before going to the NUS.
In a commencement speech at NUS in 2018, he admitted that he had “fumbled badly” in the Primary School Leaving Examination and “bumbled” his way into junior college and university.
So, for those of you out there who are struggling in school, don’t give up on yourself because he’s proven that anything is possible.
3. Zhang Yong, 47
Image courtesy: The Straits Times
Co-founder and chairman Zhang Yong of popular hotpot restaurant Haidilao is currently one of the richest people in Singapore, but did you know he never finished high school?
In his youth, Zhang dropped out of school and worked as a welder in a state-run factory in Sichuan, China. Then, he was only earning around 93 yuan (S$19) a month.
In 1994, Zhang set up the very first Haidilao eatery, which was just a 400-square feet space with only four tables.
Since then, it has grown into a global restaurant chain with 700 restaurants in countries like Singapore, Australia and South Korea.
As the owner of Haidilao, Zhang has a net worth of US$11.5 billion (S$15.5 billion). He moved to Singapore in 2019 and is now a naturalised Singapore citizen.
4. Quek Siu Rui, 33
Image courtesy: The Straits Times
Many of us use the online classifieds app Carousell but did you know that one of the co-founders, Quek Siu Rui, studied at Ngee Ann Polytechnic?
It was also where he met his other co-founder, Marcus Tan, in a marketing interest group.
In 2012, Quek founded Carousell with Tan and Lucas Ngoo. The unlisted start-up has since become a local unicorn valued at US$1.1 billion (S$1.5 billion).
According to Quek’s LinkedIn profile, he went on to study at NUS. He also took entrepreneurship courses at Stanford University as well as went on a year-long internship program in Silicon Valley under the NUS Overseas Colleges programme.
5. Huda Hamid, 29
Image courtesy: The Noruyo
A force to be reckoned with, social entrepreneur Huda Hamid is the co-founder of Fempreneur Secrets, an online training platform that helps women run and grow their businesses.
Who would have known that this confident young woman had a troubled past?
When she was just 21, Huda’s father died. His death took a toll on her and she ended up dropping out of university in her second year as she had “lost all motivation”, she told CNA.
With the loss of the sole breadwinner, her family was thrown into a tough financial situation. Watching her mother struggle with repaying the debts of the construction company her father left behind, Huda learnt that business skills were very important for women.
After the success of her own video production company Blissful Studios, she went on to create Fempreneur Secrets in 2017 to help other women.
6. Velda Tan, 28
Image courtesy: Velda Tan
Many fashionistas in Singapore may have shopped at Love, Bonito, and before the blog shop became what it is today, it was an actual blog called BonitoChico.
This was where the three owners sold their pre-loved clothes when they were young and now, the brand has evolved into a regional fashion chain.
One of the co-founders, Velda Tan, went to Pioneer Junior College before enrolling in the Singapore Institute of Management.
During the first year in university, she realised that she “wasn’t keen on studying anymore”, Tan told High Net Worth Digital Magazine. Two years into her studies, she decided to drop out to focus on the fledgling Bonito Chico.
This article was first published on AsiaOne and republished on theAsianparent with permission.
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