Minister for Education Mr Heng Swee Keat on Saturday morning cited renowned local film-maker Royston Tan as an example of what a "broad" education can do.

The minister shared on his Facebook page an anecdote about how Tan picked up filmmaking while he was a student at Zhonghua Secondary, after making a video for his Art O-Levels. He praised Tan's principal Mrs Ng-Gan Lay Choo for embodying the "breadth" in education by recognising and embracing Tan's talent in an "unconventional area".

Mr Heng wrote: "(She) personally coached him and even went to school on the weekends to teach him film-editing. That's how his love for film got sparked. He went on to study visual communications at Temasek Polytechnic, and to make thought-provoking works that have made a connection with many people."

He ended the post by urging everyone to work together build an education system anchored on such a broad approach to education, adding that it "provides opportunities for every child".