Chan Chun Sing may be Singapore’s education minister, but to his kids, he is first and foremost a father. The 54-year-old is married with three children — a daughter and two sons, aged 23, 15, and 13 respectively. Like any other parent, Chan has experienced both the joys and heartaches that come with raising children. In an interview published on 13 September, he sat down with 8world to chat about life as a family man.
Daughter of a minister
Chan is not blind to the challenges his kids face, especially with him as their father. “When my daughter used to do well in school, others would often laugh and say: ‘You’re the minister’s daughter, of course you should do well.'” She would face criticism either way, said Chan. Even if she did poorly, people could chide her for not meeting the mark as a minister’s daughter should. Well aware of certain notions people might have about his family, Chan said that living under public scrutiny was inevitable. Still, he shared that he has made an effort to let his children lead their own lives, such as trusting them to choose which schools to attend when they were younger.
By their side
Speaking about his son who has cerebral palsy, Chan told 8world he longs to spend more time with him, as well as his siblings. “Whether or not a kid has special needs, they will always have their individual requirements,” he said. “So as a parent, as a dad, of course I wish for them to enjoy the best life.” Chan often updates his Facebook page with snippets of his time spent with his children, such as going out on walks with them and doing activities at home.
Had to grow up by himself
Chan’s desire to be with his kids perhaps stems from his experience growing up in a single-parent household. He told 8world that his mother had to work two jobs to support the family. It left her with little time to spend with her kids, which taught Chan how to be independent early on. He recounted the words of his grandmother: “Even though we may not have the most, we can always do our part to help others in need.” When he grew up, Chan served in the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) for 24 years before entering the public service. He made his way through various ministries before becoming education minister in 2021. He has been serving at the post ever since. And while he is sure of his place in the world, he will leave his kids’ up to them. “The hardest part is letting our kids walk the path they wish to walk.”
New approach to gifted education
In response to recent discussions, Minister for Education Chan Chun Sing revealed that around 200 Gifted Education Programme (GEP) students are admitted to secondary schools via the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme each year, a small proportion of the total student cohort. The Ministry of Education is expected to announce more details about the new approach for high-ability learners in the coming months. Chan also clarified that the new approach to gifted education will not result in changes to typical class sizes of 30 to 40 pupils in primary schools. He emphasised that the DSA scheme must be accessible to a broad swathe of students, and not just those from families with more resources.
