In school, Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam excelled in sports. He represented ACS in several sports - hockey, football, athletics and cricket, and played for Combined Schools in hockey. In fact, he would have gone further in sports and done the school proud if not for an illness that curtailed his sporting activities and progress at the age of 17.

However, Mr Tharman's passion for sports was not in vain. He feels that it was on the sports field that many in his generation developed the sense of 'teamsmanship' and determination that make the difference in life. It must have helped steer him through his illustrious career, becoming Managing Director of the Monetary Authority of Singapre, before entering politics and taking on his present challenge as Senior Minister of State for Trade & Industry as well as Education.

To find out what makes this outstanding ACSian tick, ACS (Independent) students Darren Lim, Jeremy Au and Ivan Khoo dropped in at his office for a chat recently. The following is a summary of what the affable and unassuming Mr Tharman shared with them.

Please share with us your experiences, aspirations and achievements when you were a student at ACS.

"I basically enjoyed my years at ACS.

Sports wasmy consuming passion. I simply relished it, every practice session, every match, and the company, the friendships that we formed on the field. I would play some game almost every day, usually on the old school field at Barker Road. we would often continue until it was too dark to see the ball, and then adjourn for drinks at the Lim Poh San Coffeeshop that used to be across the road - I mean soft drinks! If we played at Farrer Park, we would adjourn tothe hawker stalls that used to be at Northumberland Road. Unfortunately for me, serious sports ended early as I developed an illness at 17 that affected me for a few years. But the playing field is still what gives me my fondest memories of my youth.

I think sport develops a natural sense of teamsmanship. It's a natural integrating activity, bringing together people from different social backgrounds and races, and different schools. It also develops certain emotional characteristics,which are useful in life. In sports, you don't always win! So you learn how to take losing after having trained the whole year, and go on to train harder for the next season. You don't hink very much about it at that stage, about the lessons or how it's developing you, but later on in life when you reflect on things you realise how sports develops you, emotionally and socially. The same holds for other forms of CCA, in their own way.  Anything that you take to with enthusiasm and dedication, and especially team endeavours, I think a lot comes out of it. I see that as a very valuable part of my education".

Were there any special people or memorable incidents in school that helped to shape your life?

"Certain individuals make a mark onyou, sometimes without your realising at the time. We had some very good teachers. The teacher whom I remember most vividly was my form teacher in Pre U 2, Mr Wan Fook Weng, who taught us Pure Mathematics. He clearly enjoyed what he was doing. He had a real passion for mathematics and taught it in his own, inimitable style. He disliked giving answers. He would usually pose a question, wlak out of the class, then come back and ask "so"? It forced us to think. I enjoyed his classes and took a conceptual approach to the subject. It made the subject much more interesting. He was a tough taskmaster in his own way, not in the sense of setting tough question and demanding that we work them out. And he peppered his teaching with a lot of advice on matters that had nothing to do with mathematics.

There were other teachers who clearly enjoyed the subjects they taught. In Literature for example, we had Mrs Lee Gek Kim, and in Additional Mathematics Mrs Lee Tzu Hong. they had a passion for teaching their subjects. When a teacher shows an intrinsic interest in the subject, it infects the students. They find learning more enlivened, more engaging. Not every student is made out to be a Literature enthusiast, but even those who are  not can at least appreciate something of the flavour of the subject if they have a good teacher."

Are there lessons in life you have learnt which have contributed to your illustrious career?

"That's a heavy question! Going back to sports - not that I want to overdo the point - there's a certain perspective that you develop, which I think is useful in life. An ability to take success without getting to your head, and to take failure will - to pick yourself up and move on. It also develops a certain respect for others. Every team has people with very different strengths and weaknesses, and when you spend much of the year working with the team so that you can maximise its strengths and minimise weaknesses, it rubs off on you in other ways."

What made you enter politics?

"I did not think about it in school, but began to take an interest in social issues when I was in NS and during my university days. I started reding quite widely. After university, I concentrated on my job andon getting a better, practical understanding of Singapore, the challenges we face. If you want tobe serious about contributing in any way in politics, you have to understand the situation quite well.

When I finally decided to go into politics, it was not something I felt was foreign to me. I think at the end of the day, you take greatest satisfaction in what you can contribute to a larger group of people, be it a community or a country."

You wear the dual hats of the Ministry of Trade & Industry and Education. How do you manage to juggle the diverse responsibilities?

"It's not as difficult as it seems. The main thing is not to view yourself as a specialist or an expert. You have to listen to others who are specialists, those who really know the subject well. Then your job is basically to synthesise, to evaluate and to make judgements."

You have fairly young children. Given your very busy schedule, do you find that you have to 'make' time to spend with your family"

"Yes. I have to consciously make time for them. I'd like to spend more time with them, but I don't think I've sacrificed too much in the quality of family life. Everyday, I look forward to seeing them. On the way home, I call the kids to let them know I am coming back, get a few questions asked .... do I want orange joice, do I want this ... it's great going back to them every day."

How do you see education in Singapore evolving, given the recent changes made?

"Well, there are a few strands to that. We've got a system that sets high standards, and gets every student to aim high. I think education is one of Singapore's key strengths. We are working from that position of strength, to now free up somewhat, provide more diverse paths and develop a more innovative climate.

We want to recognise different talents andgroom them along different paths. We need a more diverse set of Singaporeans in the future, and you can't get a more diverse set of Singaporean unless you allow them to pursue different paths of learning and experience. Tha's one aspect of how we are evolving.

A second point is that, although Singapore's infrastructure and manpower is more efficient than most - and this is still an advantage - it is no longer adequate. We have tobe distinguished ultimately not for our efficiency, but for our ability to innovate. That has to be the key characteristic that people associate with Singaporeans in future - the fact that we create new products and services, find new ways of doing things, and translate new ideas into reality. It means cultivating fromyoung, a willingness to experiment, to try something different, and if you fail,to try again.

A third aspect is that we need to groom more experienced Singaporeans. We need strong, exceptional individuals. That means identifying talents early and allowing them togo as far as they can; encouraging students to run with their passion for a subject or an activity, to dream the impossible and to work very hard to realise those dreams. We need more of a spirit of exceptionalism amongst our young, to take us forward."

Besides having a stellar performance in academics and CCA, what makes a school successful?

"It helps to have a respect for diversity in all its forms - diverse talents, people with diverse strengths, even diverse characters. Getting everyone to respect diversity also helps to produce individuals who can fit easily in society and the workplace. Being able to work with people from a wide variety of backgrounds, draw on their strengths, and get along well with them. These things matter in life, and they are best developed through the non-academic curriculum. Obviously, schools have to pay attention to the academic curriculum. But the best schools achieve a good balance between the two."

How can parents discipline and encourage their children to explore and venture into new grounds?

"I think the most basic point is to encourage children to ask questions from very young. Once they get through secondary school and become young adults, they should have developed a certain scepticism towards establised wisdom, and I don't mean cynicism. Having a questioning attitude towards established knowledge and even established ways of doing things, is not a bad habit - it leads to wanting to find a better way or alternative solution.

We also need discipline to succeed in creative endeavour. Innovation is rarely about somebody gettng a bright spark. It's hard work, persistence, trying and trying again. So, hard work and dedication matter. That's a trait of the Singapore education system. People say it is stressful, and it is a little stressful, but it is not a bad trait to inculcate in our young.... a willingness to work hard at whatever you are doin, to get somewhere."