AN UNEXPECTED PATH
After earning a master’s degree in education and psychology in China, Ms Wang taught at a university but found the work unfulfilling. She was teaching just six hours of classes a week – a schedule her mother likened to retirement.
She moved to Singapore in 1995 and took a job as a secretary. To supplement her income, she started tutoring four children in Mandarin, including two whose parents could not speak the language.
After relocating to the east of Singapore, she left her secretarial role and joined a tuition centre in the area, where she worked for six years. The centre, which no longer exists, had more than 2,000 students at its peak in the 2000s.
“I felt like a fish in water. It was a suitable environment for me,” she recalled.
Her attention to detail earned her employers’ trust, and she eventually took on responsibilities including HR and curriculum planning. Parents praised her teaching, particularly her clear pronunciation.
“Since I have this ability, I see students improve when I teach, children like me, I have this experience – why not develop further in this industry?” she said.
In 2007, while walking around her neighbourhood with her family, Ms Wang noticed a shop unit available for rent in a nearby condominium.
In that 50 sqm unit, she saw her opportunity. “We contacted the owner. They had a complete set of tables and chairs ready. So we took over the unit,” said Ms Wang.
“I only thought, based on my language ability and knowledge background, the most suitable thing was probably Chinese tuition,” she said, describing herself as “very pragmatic” with no grand plans at the time.
Relying only on word of mouth, she ran the centre herself with help from her family. By the time her two-year lease ended, the centre was already full, and she was teaching 56 hours a week.
In 2009, she moved to a larger space at Eastgate in Katong, which remains the chain’s headquarters. Within a year, the 500-student capacity had doubled.
From 2014 onwards, the chain expanded one outlet at a time. Parents who wanted to enrol their children urged her to open branches in other neighbourhoods, even going so far as to look for suitable units for her.
But Ms Wang has resisted rapid expansion. “If you open three or four at the same time, I can’t manage them all.”