IH Essay Practice:

Which do you think plays a more important

role in sustaining Singapore’s population
growth?
Explain your answer.
 Policies to encourage birthrate
 attracting foreign talents
Current Social Challenges

•Declining birthrate from the

1980s
•Consequences
- economic, defence, aging

population
•Promoting Population Growth
•Preparing for Aged Population
Declining birth rate from the 1980s

• 1980 fertility
rate was1.82
• Success of
family
planning
policies
• Increasing
cost of living
• Marrying at a
later age

Number of babies born from 1960 to 2004

Consequences
• Economic  Unattractive to MNCs
• Would not be able to produce enough
talented people to sustain development
Less attractive
MNCs would find it difficult/ > expensive to
recruit Singaporeans
Smaller consumer market
Consequences
• Defence
Fewer men to
recruit for NS

Weaker defence
force???
 Previously….

Consequences

• Ageing Population
Fewer young people in the
population
Number of older people in be
larger proportionately
More resources would have to
be used to care for the aged
population
Promoting Population Growth after
1980s
1) Promoting Larger Families
2) Attracting Foreign Talents
The Graduate Mother’s Scheme, 1984

• Graduates encouraged to get

married
• Graduates encouraged to have
more children

But…..
Scheme withdrawn in 1985
WHY?
Three or More If You Can Afford It, 1987

• Aimed to bring
population growth back
to replacement level
• Use of Medisave for
delivery charges of 1st
three children
• Publicity campaigns on
the joys of parenthood
New marriage and parenthood packages,
2004 (based on feedback)
• Equalized medical benefits
• Mothers too!
• Better work-life balance
• 5-day work week for Civil Service
• $10mil WoW! Fund (Work-life Works!) provided
financial support for companies to implement family
friendly practices

Purp
ose?
Encouraging Parenthood, 2004
• Promoting Marriage
• HDB Top-up Grant for singles who marry
• Making child birth more affordable
• Use of Medisave for 4th & more births & pre-delivery expenses
• Use of Medisave for assisted conception procedures
• Providing financial support for raising children
• Enhanced Baby Bonus
• Citizens enjoy a bonus of $3,000 for 1st child, up to $9,000 for
2nd child & up to $18,000 for 3rd or more
• Parenthood Tax Rebate & Working Mothers’ Child Relief
Purp
ose?
Enhancing child care options
• Extended maternity leave
• 8 weeks  12 weeks
• New Child Care Leave
• <7 years old, 2 days of unconditional child care leave
• Infant care subsidy
• 2-18 month old, licensed infant/ child care centers  up to
$400/mth
• Grandparent caregiver relief
• Income tax relief of $3,000 if they are helping the couple to look
after the child (up to 12 years old)
• Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concessions
• Lower levy of $200 if child below 12 years old (Singaporeans
only) Purp
ose?
• Also if parent, parent-in-law, grandparent, grandparent-in-law
living in the same household
Success?
• 1986 1.48
Why?
• 1988  1.96
• 2004  1.24

Needs time to see positive results? (ST)

 VS Foreign Workers?

Attracting Foreign Talents

• To solve immediate economic concerns
• To enhance competitiveness
• Smaller population  not possible to produce required professionals
for KBE
• To boost quality of our workforce
• Help create more jobs & increased productivity
• Relaxed immigration policy, 1989
• Easier entry into Singapore Consequences?
• Attractive housing
• Education packages for children of FTs > Cosmopolitan
 Easier to live & work here Enriched our culture
 Take up citizenship
-Social tension
-Strain on resources
-Competition
An ageing population
• Post war baby boom
• Declining birth rates
• Longer life span
• Better health care

f t he
m e o rly?
r e so elde
h at a of the
W ds
nee
Impact of an ageing population

• Reduce in competitiveness
• Demand for more healthcare and social services
• Smaller security force
• Strain on working people

e rly ?
e eld ciety
n th e s o
c a th
o w
H sset t o
ana
b e
 Preparing for an aged (ageing) population

Who do you think is more responsible?

Government

Community

Family

Self
Challenge : 19% of Singaporeans = aged (>65 yrs old)
useful/ assets to the society

Provide opportunities to add value to the public and private organizations, boost family life
•
‘Many Helping Hands’ Approach
• Sharing responsibility to take care of senior citizens
• Government rely less on increasing taxes
• Government can save resources to meet the nation’s
other needs
Individual responsibility
• Age gracefully through early planning
• Healthy lifestyle by eating well and exercising regularly
• Financial planning by attending talks

s e ?
u rpo
P
Family Support

• Provides emotional, social and financial support

• Positive attitude towards elderly
• Celebrating Grandparents’ Day
• Senior Citizen’s Week (MCYS) 1979  3rd week Nov
• to encourage the elderly
• To remain physically, mentally & socially active
• To promote positive attitudes towards ageing and the aged
• To promote respect & appreciation for the contributions made by
senior citizens
Community Help

• Voluntary welfare organizations (Home Nursing

Foundation for Elders)
• Use of housewives to help the needs of the senior
citizens
• Free health checks
• Recreational activities

se?
o
u rp
P
Government Support

‘Back to Work’ Programme (MoM,

NTUC) Sept 1996  encourage
housewives & retirees to return to
the workforce
+ better utilise local manpower
+ alleviate manpower shortages faced by
employers
+ reduce reliance on foreign workers
+ training grants provided to help retrain job
seekers
Government Support
• Tribunal for the maintenance of parents
• Tax relief
• Taking care of elderly parents, grandparents…
• Contributing to own or elderly dependents’ CPF retirement accounts
• CPF
• 1955, Social security scheme – old age, healthcare, homeownership.
• All employees
• Both employers & employees make monthly contribuions
• Employers contribute less to employees 65 years old & above. Why?
• OA, MA, SA, RA (at age 55) Members must set aside a minimum sum before withdrawing
his CPF.
• See http://mycpf.cpf.gov.sg/Members/Gen-Info/mbr-Gen-info.htm
• Public housing scheme
Pu parents
• Grant for 1st time buyers of HDB if they buy a flat near their
rpose
?
Preparing for an aged (ageing) population

Who do you think is more responsible?

Government

Community

Family

Self
The End
Wait a minute….