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.

Had he been born a Singaporean, with our system of meritocracy, he would not even have made Officer Cadet School, let alone become a Cabinet minister.

What about the 'Churchills' in our midst - students who do not do well in their O or A levels, for whatever reason, but who subsequently excel in what they do after school? We should identify and develop non-scholar types like Creative Technology's Mr Sim Wong Hoo, rather than just focus on scholars.

Tan Soon Hock

This article was first published in The Straits Times on Sept 2, 2008.