Tay was educated at the [[Anglo-Chinese School]]. A member of the [[People's Action Party]], he was Senior Minister of State (Education) in the 1980s<ref>{{cite web|title=新加坡资优教育介绍|url=http://www.ycwgy.com/yjs/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=13|accessdate=10 January 2015}}</ref> until his death in office.<ref>{{cite web | title = Tay Eng Soon | author = Tien Mui Mun | date = 2002-11-06 | publisher = [[National Library Board Singapore]] | url = http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_667_2005-01-11.html | work = Singapore Infopedia | deadurl = yes | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20101001083203/http://infopedia.nl.sg/articles/SIP_667_2005-01-11.html | archivedate = 2010-10-01 | df = }}</ref>