Singapore's PSLE Oral Expert Celebrates 7 Years of 'A for Oral'
In a high-pressure education system where grades often speak louder than students, Hakim Harsono is celebrating a quiet revolution — giving Singaporean children the courage to use their voice.
As MOE Increases Oral Weightage to 20%, Thousands of Children Were Left Unprepared
Parents used to focus purely on written grades. Now, soft skills like confidence, expression, and clarity are what top schools look for in DSA and national exams. The game changed. What started as a one-man mission has now helped over 700 students find their voice.
A Program Born From Ashes of Shame
Hakim's journey started far from the classroom. Growing up, he was diminutive and shy. The humiliation peaked when he was chosen to lead the school in reciting the national pledge in Malay — and stumbled, again and again. 'The school laughed. I wanted to disappear,' Hakim recalls. That moment carved his lifelong obsession with child confidence.
Walking Away From Insurance
Later, while preparing for a career in insurance, Hakim took a part-time gig teaching public speaking — and saw something insurance could never offer: meaning. 'I couldn't be in an industry where I had to question whether I was doing the right thing,' Hakim recalls after a senior asked him, 'You care about her pocket or your own?' He walked away and never looked back.
A Legacy Continued
Inspired by his father, also an educator who worked with students others had given up on, Hakim sees 'A for Oral' not just as a business — it's legacy. 'My dad never just taught the syllabus. He taught students — and I'm trying to do the same.' After 7 years, Hakim is not just training children to pass an exam; he's helping them grow into individuals who know their voice matters.
A Milestone Fueled by Stories of Change
Hakim's 7-year journey is filled with children who started off quiet, anxious, or labelled as 'weak,' only to rise as confident speakers under his care — from children on the autism spectrum achieving 30/30 in English oral, to girls who wanted to disappear standing tall on stage leading their peers.
Hakim's Advice to Parents
He believes the PSLE Oral isn't just about articulation — it's a reflection of how children are raised to express themselves.
"When parents speak or decide on behalf of their kids, those kids learn to follow. But when they're trusted to speak, they grow into leaders. Trust your child's voice — not just what they say, but their ability to say it. Confidence doesn't come from correction. It comes from trust."
Trusted to teach at
- Guest Lecturer at NUS & Raffles Girls' School (RGS)
- Keynote Speaker at Anglo-Chinese School (ACS Barker Road)
- Toastmasters Competition Judge with Flying Dutchman & Angelique Teo
- 700+ Students Coached to PSLE Oral Success
