SIR Winston Churchill did not do well in school. Yet he went on to distinguish himself in the British armed forces, and as prime minister of wartime Britain. He also won a Nobel Prize, and was knighted by the Queen. All this from one with mediocre school grades.

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Easier to identify the child genius. So do what is easy.

System of meritocracy is based on performance, and would need to show for...proof themselves first. Even SIR Winston Churchill, "gained fame and notoriety as a war correspondent and through contemporary books he wrote describing the battle campaigns."

In Singapore, there is always chance to rise up in income, status or recognition despite academic achievements. But is based on performance/results/outputs. Singapore has limited resources to extend all-best support to everyone. So the question for Mr Tan is how should we identify and develop non-scholar?

How can third world brain move Singapore forward?

Seems like those days are gone, as far as Singapore is concern. Perhaps such a person can still be successful in business, but there is no way he/she is even going to be considered for an MP role.

This is what the SG Govt has made out the pre-requisite to be, where only benefit scholars mostly. Education level is used as a tool by the SG Govt to add credibility to any of its officers. There is a glass wall separating the so called elites from the others.

In my opinion, you need a 50-50% balance of both. Can you imagine a Churchill, John Major, Paul Keating becoming a prime minister? Well, my guess is never, as they are all not degree holders!

Sin educational system is worthless, it produce parrots and monkeys. Thats why our ppl look heavily on peanuts. Churchchill and Newton cannot make it one - they are hopeless case.

Of a cohort, 80% is slated to be tetairy holders. 20% are the gone-case - hawkers, cleaners, etc that form low society. Of the 80% tetairy, 30% are allocate seats, slated to be local-U graduates. Of the 30%, local-U 'reservations', X% is for the gifted plan, IP students, no need to take exam, just register and go into U one. These are the VIP children, PM's son is one of them - IP students. So how many middle/low income ppl can actually go local-U? No degree means, cannot be politician....

Go speakers' corners lor.

Tan Soon Hock said "We should identify and develop non-scholar types like Creative Technology's Mr Sim Wong Hoo, rather than just focus on scholars."

I don't think there is any system to develop the likes of Sim Wong Hoo or Oei Hong Leong. He is a self-made man. If he is identified and developed by the Government at an early age, then he will turn out to be another moulded "scholar". It is better to let such people develop and identify themselves, let them contest freely in the GE, and find their own way to the helm of our Government.

it's better than got brain..... no use

And do we think Churchill will become Britain's PM today without a degree ?

My gripe is with Churchill as a choice of example. By some accounts, he expressed views that would qualify as racialist, to say less. When it came to choosing between Asiatic colonial subjects and the honour of the Empah, he had little hesitation. "The honour of the British Empire is at stake .. there must be no thought of sparing the (Asiatic) civilian population ( in Singapore city from disastrous street fighting." If you say other leaders of other lands have made the same choice, that would make him one of the "many" wouldn't it ?

Churchill had qualities and remains an icon to the British but it's time we lost our colonial hangover along with its references. If you have to choose an Ang Moh example, choose another.