DROPOUTS GLOW UP

A lack of academic qualifications did not deter three early school-leavers from starting their own companies

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Mr Chow Yi Tong was 14 years old when he failed his Secondary 1 year-end examinations at Zhonghua Secondary School in 1990 — on purpose.

The extended bilingual stream student from the former Chong Shan Primary School wanted to stop schooling to support his single mother. She worked as a dishwasher, wet market stall holder and odd jobs to support him and his two brothers.

His father had abandoned the family when he was around age six, which left them surviving hand to mouth with just one set of school uniform and one pair of shoes each. Meals in their three-room flat in Ang Mo Kio typically involved heating up instant noodles topped with an egg.

“I saw my mum having difficulties like raising extra money to support us or buy school textbooks for my older brother,” says Mr Chow, now 49, whose brothers are one year older and three years younger than him.

“So, I made the decision to quit school at a young age to support the family.”

His mother disagreed with his decision to abort his education, but he was adamant. He repeated Sec 1 and was allowed to leave the school on Nov 7 in 1991, five days before his 15th birthday.

On Nov 11 that year, he started work as a display artist for Emporium Holdings, a now-defunct retail group. After he clocked out, he worked as a part-time crew member at Burger King and also took on machine cleaning tasks there from 11pm until about 3am.

Surviving on four hours of sleep was worth it, he says, because his then combined monthly salary of $1,200 was enough to buy the family their first TV and a new sofa.

Despite working three jobs, he never gave up learning.