The report on Ms Ang Li Khim was a truly inspiring one (Banking tech head failed O-level English thrice but never gave up, March 24).

Apart from the obvious tenacity that enabled her success, there are significant lessons from her life that can be gleaned to improve education in Singapore and help students succeed. 

Failing the English language exam and hence failing to obtain the O-level adequacy pass is common in Singapore. 

Literacy in a single language in a multilingual environment remains a bugbear for many, when proficiency in the English language focuses more on grammar than comprehension. 

According to neuroscience, language functions are mostly left-brain dominant and those who are left-brained will do well in language acquisition.

However, to function as an intelligent person who can solve complex problems confronting life, language proficiency may not be the most significant contributor, unless one is an instructor using language to teach others or a politician persuading voters.

In Ms Ang’s case, her brain functions in numerate literacy are superior to her language functions. Unfortunately, the lop-sided emphasis on language proficiency in Singapore education means her superior numerate capability was not measured. 

We still do not have reliable and valid multi-level and multi-dimensional critical measurements that can tease out real talents. 

Depending on a single metric, such as English language proficiency, our educational systems will continue to fail in assessing the real skills of each unique individual.

We have to reconsider how English language ability can be assessed without missing out on other competencies that depend less on language proficiency.

Without this critical overhaul, more talented young minds may miss being identified.

Thomas Lee Hock Seng (Dr)