SGEP has an interesting article (from Today paper) on how Australia was able to increase its fertility rate to 1.0 (from 1.7) while Singapore continued to suffer a decline in the fertility rate. It analyses the difference in approach of Australia and Singapore.
We have often been quite proud (some people say that we are arrogant) about the Singapore approach - so here is an example of one approach that has failed quite badly. We need to be able to respond more positively to the facts (i.e. be pragmatic) and not dogmatic about our approach.
One important quality of Singapore is pragmatism. It seemed to have been abandoned when it come to "baby bonus" and fertility rate.
Tan Kin Lian
http://www.todayonline.com/Hotnews/EDC110205-0000138/More-babies,-but-was-it-the-bonus?
Spot on. It takes a foreigner to put the problem into perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe relentless drumming that there is no free lunch, and that we have to be forever in a marathon race to get ahead of other nations, just boomerang back. With such reminders at the back of our mind, who dares to have kids, with sudden unemployment hanging over our heads, who dares to even marry.