In the "anti-rightist struggle" of 1957 and the Great Leap Forward of 1958, Tan openly expressed his opposition, but in the communist society, schools were all nationalized. Tan retained the title of "school master" in name only, with no practical power.
一九五七年「反右派鬥爭」，一九五八年「大躍進」，陳嘉庚都曾直言反對，但共產社會，學校都收歸國有，陳嘉庚徒有「校主」之名，卻沒有實權。