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Fertility Rate
Fertility Rate
6. Based on the opinions of the two men interviewed by the news, what are the
issues that they bring up as possible reasons why the population in Singapore
continues to decline?
They brought up the fact that every one is so stressed up with work, working 9 to 5 and
overtime and by the time they get home they are tired and they've got no time to make
babies. Also, to bring a kid up is not easy, Singapore education is very 'hard' and is also
very expensive, school fees very expensive, tuition fees.
7. Which do you think is more accurate in explaining the causes for the fall in total
birthrate in Singapore? Support your answer using research from the internet.
Your answer should be based on statistical evidence and facts from government
papers and other reliable sources of information.
The causes for the fall in total birthrate in Singapore during the past few years are the
fact that education in Singapore is very expensive and that everyone is very stressed in
work. Thus, people do not want to have babies as they feel it would cause more money
and also because they have no time to make babies with their long working hours.
However, I feel that money is not a problem. The government already provides tax
incentives like the baby bonus scheme that are aimed at encouraging couples to have
children. Also, we will get a cash gift of $3,000 for the 1st child, and a cash gift and cosavings of up to $9,000 for the 2nd child, and up to $18,000 each for the 3rd and 4th
child. The Government will match our savings dollar-for-dollar as we contribute to our
childs Children Development Account (CDA). These funds can be used to may the
childs childcare centre fees, kindergartens, etc. Thus, with all these funds and
incentives, money is not a very big problem which will cause the declining fertility rate.
Also, I feel that the fact that singapores education is very hard is quite true. According
to a survey, more people are getting competitive and with the increase in foreign
students, this makes it even more competitive in schools. Parents may be worried that
their children will not have a happy childhood due to the stress from school. Also, some
schools only accept a PSLE score of above 265 before giving the student financial help.
This makes it even more stressful and more hard. Lastly, Singapores education
system also involves streaming and GEP. I feel that streaming really shatters a persons
confidence because the person may not do well enough and thus lose confidence in
himself. According to an article written by da-cheese-freakk, he said that he feels GEP
is simply about a greater intellect to learn at a faster pace and also feels that they
should just simply skip a grade instead of being labeled as Gifted students. This is
because many people are jealous of the gifted students and always give weird looks to
them. So from all this, you can really tell how hard Singapores education is.
So in conclusion, I feel that the fall in the birthrate is due to the fact that singapores
education is very hard. Many parents do not want to have babies because they do not
wish to see their children suffer and also have a stressful and competitive childhood.
They want the best for their children.