Singapore's PSLE Oral Expert Celebrates 7 Years of "A for Oral" - Giving Children the Confidence to Speak Up as MOE Reforms Syllabus

SINGAPORE, July 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- In a high-pressure education system where grades often speak louder than students, one educator is celebrating a quiet revolution — giving Singaporean children the courage to use their voice.

Today marks the 7th anniversary of "A for Oral," Singapore's first PSLE-Oral-only coaching program. Led by Hakim Harsono, the initiative was born from one urgent truth: as the Ministry of Education increased the PSLE oral weightage to 20%, thousands of children were left unprepared — And most parents are confused on how to help their children.

A Milestone Fueled by Stories of Change

Parents used to focus on grades. Now, soft skills like confidence, expression, and clarity are what top schools look for. The game changed. What started as a one-man mission has now helped over 700 students find their voice.

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 Blackout to Beauty

One student came in hiding, avoiding eye contact, group tasks. "She didn't just dislike speaking," Hakim recalls. "She wanted to disappear."

After the program, she was standing on stage presenting with her team — not hiding, but leading. Her mother broke into tears. "I can't believe this is my daughter," she said.

From Autism to "A"chiever

Another parent approached Hakim hesitantly before enrolling her son. "He has autism. I just wanted you to know that," she said. After just 3 hours, the boy applied Hakim's answering methods and jumped from 26 to 39 in his Chinese oral score. In English he aced it: 30 out of 30.

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."

Later, while preparing for a career in insurance, Hakim took a part-time gig teaching public speaking—And in that space, he 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 a senior once asked him during a career in insurance, "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 have 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."

Now, 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.

Hakim's Tips 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. Grades matter. But voice changes everything.

"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."

About "A for Oral"

Founded in 2018, A for Oral is Singapore's first PSLE-Oral-specialist coaching program designed to equip children with the confidence, strategy, and self-expression skills needed to succeed — both in exams and in life.

Media Contact

Hakim Harsono
+65 9623 9191
Instagram: @hakimharsono

SOURCE A for Oral