THE academic results in the group of schools under the Anglo-Chinese name were not exactly sparkling in 1995, when Mr Tan Wah Thong, an old boy, joined its board as chairman.

In his mission to turn things around, one of the first things he did was handpick the principals.

After 13 years at the helm of the group of now seven Methodist schools, the 69- year-old is retiring on a high note:

ACS (Independent) emerged among the world's best in the International Baccalaureate examinations in January; Anglo-Chinese Junior College, with a cut-off point of six, had to turn away 600 appeal cases among O-level school-leavers.

Academic 'software' aside, Mr Tan has also beefed up the schools' 'hardware'.

Calling himself 'the biggest beggar in town', he has raised $80 million to renovate and rebuild six of the seven schools in the Anglo-Chinese family.

ACS (Junior) will move to its new premises at year's end; he also oversaw the setting up of ACS (International) in 2005 and ACS in Jakarta a year after that.

Asked about his recipe for success, Mr Tan said: 'It is no secret. It's common sense. Pick the right principals, don't micro-manage and give them everything they need in terms of help and support.'

The principals appreciate his management style.

ACJC principal Kelvyna Chan said she is grateful for his whole-hearted support in the building of her school's Centre for Performing Arts, which will open this month.

He had told her not to worry about the lack of funds and how to raise them, and to go ahead with the project. It was only when the project was near completion that he told her in passing that he had stayed up nights thinking about how to overcome the obstacles.

She said: 'That touched me - that this strong, confident, unshakeable man had his moments of uncertainty, and that he cared enough for my school and for me as a person to worry for us.'

ACS(I) principal Ong Teck Chin said Mr Tan 'always encouraged us to be on the starting block of things'.

He also appreciated the trust Mr Tan placed in him to try out new ideas in his school - be it to introduce the International Baccalaureate programme, to go with the two co-curricular activities policy or to expand the boarding programme.

Dr Ong added: 'He gave us a lot of freedom, but was always there to lend his support at each stage...He trusted me and shielded me from possible problems by taking care of dissenters for me.'

Mr Tan even 'took care' of alumni who said snidely that Dr Ong, an old boy of rival school Raffles Institution, should not head ACS(I).

Mr Tan, who graduated from the Royal Naval Engineering College, Plymouth, in Britain in electrical engineering, has two daughters and three grandchildren. His wife is a housewife.

He spent most of his career in the marine industry, retired in 1993 and picked up the Public Service Medal in 2006.

Said the affable man, who reckons his greatest achievement has been to turn the ACS schools into schools of choice: 'My greatest satisfaction is when Chinese-speaking merchants call me and ask me how to get their grandsons into my schools.

'There are so many good schools now and yet for them to earnestly want their grandsons to study in ACS - that speaks volumes about ACS.'

This article was first published in The Straits Times on April 2, 2008.