1. Someone wrote an article stating that it is not possible to increase the birth rate as women today prefer to have a career and do not wish to bear children.
2. I disagree with the writer (and the conventional wisdom). My view is that some women (perhaps half) wants a career, but the others are willing to be a home maker, if they are paid as much as a working woman.
3. The mums at home have to be paid by the state for the work of raising a family. The pay should be similar to what they can earn by working in a retail shop, eatery or factory.
4. In the case of Singapore, a suitable pay should be $1,000 a month for each child up to age 12 years, and up to 3 child per family.
5. The better educated women will want to be professionals and managers. Many of them do not want to raise children, or will only have one child (and keep pets). However, not all women can achieve these careers.
6. In the past, the cost of living was low, so families can afford to have mums at home. But today, the cost of living is high, and many families cannot afford to have mums at home. They have to go out and work, and raise less children.
7. This problem is faced by all countries under the free market economic system, and not by Singapore alone. They all suffer the same problem, and have the same sickness (i.e. declining population).
8. Can the state afford to pay these mums at home? The state can, if they can get the high income people to pay more tax.
9. My proposal will attract the women that are not highly educated and do not mind being mums at home - if the get an adequate income for this "job".
10. I do not agree with the elitist concept promoted by the Singapore government, i.e. to encourage well educated women to produce more children and discourage the less education women from doing so. This is the source of the problem faced by Singapore.
Tan Kin Lian
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