Forum: Removing barriers to opportunity key to discovering Singapore's ‘lost Einsteins'
We read with great interest the Opinion piece by Associate Professor Terence Ho on the need to empower Singapore's 'lost Einsteins' through deeper social investment and greater opportunities for social mixing (How Singapore can expand opportunities for its 'lost Einsteins', May 23).
The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) fully concurs with this call. For over three decades, CDAC has worked to uplift families through education, enrichment and community support.
CDAC also recognises the important role of social mixing in closing the social capital gap. This is achieved through the involvement of volunteers of various backgrounds, particularly students from secondary schools who conduct programmes for primary year students to develop their interests.
Youth volunteers from different professional backgrounds also mentor upper primary children under our Supervised Homework Group project started about 31 years ago. For students from lower-income families, such experiences broaden networks, boost aspirations and open windows to real-world opportunities.
We have also sharpened our focus on nurturing the potential of every child, especially those from less advantaged backgrounds, by building up their social and emotional competencies and helping them discover and pursue their interests.
For example, we have a mentoring programme targeted at primary school children, providing long-term developmental support from their early years through to post-secondary education. It helps ease school transitions by building confidence, developing strengths, encouraging interest exploration and fostering peer friendships. The programme also involves parents and community organisations, creating a supportive ecosystem around each child.
We have partnered with several schools, and early feedback shows promising outcomes: improved emotional regulation, a more positive mindset towards learning, and greater openness in sharing experiences at home.
We also have a programme called Spot : Beyond, that enables students to explore and deepen their interests in areas like the arts, sciences and technology.
Through progressive and curated experiences, students develop their skills in alignment with their passions. By fostering interaction across socio-economic backgrounds, the programme builds confidence, aspiration and inclusivity – nurturing young talents who might otherwise remain unseen.
These efforts form part of CDAC's broader strategy to provide sustained, holistic support that nurtures aspiration and unlocks potential.
In line with Professor Ho's insights, we believe that removing barriers to opportunity and encouraging interest-based exploration are essential to discovering the 'lost Einsteins' who may one day shape Singapore's future.
Tan Yap Kin
Executive Director
Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC)
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