{"id":61853,"date":"2026-06-19T03:31:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:31:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=61853"},"modified":"2026-06-19T03:31:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T19:31:02","slug":"can-singapores-education-system-take-late-bloomers-harvard-speech-reignites-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=61853","title":{"rendered":"Can Singapore\u2019s education system take \u2018late bloomers\u2019? Harvard speech reignites debate"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When Singaporean<\/span><\/a> Joel Tan stood before fellow Harvard Medical School PhD graduates recently, he recalled how the chance to study biology had once seemed unrealistic because he was told his grades were not good enough.<\/div>\n

\u201cI often think about how much of my life depended on someone, somewhere, deciding that my past performance did not have to define my future potential,\u201d said Tan, who delivered the student address at the Harvard Medical School-affiliated PhD programmes\u2019 hooding ceremony on May 28.<\/p>\n

\u201cSomeone opened the door that had been closed to me, and because of that I eventually found my way here to Harvard \u2026 being here is an incredible privilege, but it\u2019s also a reminder that talent is everywhere, opportunity is not,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

His 12-minute speech, posted on YouTube, has since revived debate on whether Singapore\u2019s high-performing but intensely competitive education system gives enough room to students whose interests and abilities emerge later.<\/p>\n

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2026 Harvard Medical School-Affiliated PhD Programs Hooding Ceremony: Joel Tan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Singapore regularly dominates global education assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. In recent years, it has introduced reforms to give students more flexibility, including broader post-secondary pathways, aptitude-based admissions and subject-based banding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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