Originally many of the Chinese in Singapore were illiterate and had inferiority complexes, which were aggravated by their living in an international port like Singapore where English was paramount. They broke their backs working so their children could study abroad.
早年來新加坡的華人，很多都不識字，自卑感極重，尤其在這國際港，英文極為重要，於是拚命工作，讓孩子出國念書。