Better environment needed to support those with children, say participants at PM's forum
SINGAPORE - Pressure from an early age - beginning in schools and through to the workplace - is a key deterrent to parenthood and bigger families here, said participants at the Mandarin edition of A Conversation with PM Lee televised last night.Two-thirds of the 30 participants who took part agreed with the need for immigration to supplement Singapore's dismal birth rate but some, such as teacher Tan Tui Gee, felt that a better environment is needed to support parenthood.
Many mothers return to work after giving birth but may lack caregivers for their children. Neither is it ideal for working mothers to check their children into childcare centres in the early morning when the latter are barely awake, said Mr Tan.
While Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong agreed with the need for work-life balance, he took heart in two-thirds of the participants feeling that the next generation would have better lives than them.
"I think our future is bright for the next 20 years," said Mr Lee, adding that it would be hard to find another country that has prepared itself better for the next two decades.
Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Chan Chun Sing, who was on the panel with Mr Lee, said he worried more about the social challenges ahead.
Society would feel the impact should values towards parenthood and marriage change, with fewer relatives to care for the elderly, for instance.
"If we fell sick in the past, we might have six or seven children to share the caregiving load. Now, with one to two kids, it's either you or me. And more people live abroad these days," said Mr Chan. "So in the non-material respect, we need more work to overcome challenges."
The 90-minute forum hosted by MediaCorp saw educators, young parents, seniors and new citizens taking part.
Issues such as pre-school education and Singapore's low birth rate and population were discussed.
It was the second television forum with the Prime Minister. The first, conducted in English two weeks ago, covered Singapore's future and values, its fertility rate and pre-school education.
Asked if games and activities should be the focus of preschool education, the answer from the participants was a unanimous yes.
Some participants also wondered if the balance between play and academics had been tipped, and if the spirit of competition had been pushed too far.
Soon-to-be-married lawyer Liu Zeming related that some of her colleagues spent a sizeable portion of their salaries on education fees for their children, with the children in turn lacking quality time with their families.
When Mr Lee remarked that Ms Liu need not do the same if she had children, she replied that she would not want her children to feel different from their peers because of her values and beliefs.
To this, Minister of State (Finance and Transport) Josephine Teo suggested that perhaps expectations needed to be adjusted - more parents now want their children to pursue university education and beyond. While she herself felt anxious about one of her children sitting for the Primary School Leaving Examination this year, she recounted meeting a couple who had five children for the right reasons - because children made them happy.
Getai organiser Aaron Tan said that, with he and his wife both working, care of their two sons aged two and three was left to his mother and a nanny. The couple considered having a third child, but Mr Tan felt it was irresponsible to have more when they were unable to spend time with the baby.
On the subject of pre-school, some of the 30 participants said parents lacked understanding of structured play and that the training of teachers lagged behind places like Shanghai in China. Head of arts group Sgwritings Culture Association Li Ye Ming also felt that the design and construction of Housing and Development Board blocks could include spaces more suited for preschools - something which Mr Lee agreed could be done.
Ref:itoday
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