URL:http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_482524.html
http://www.straitstimes.com/STForum/Story/STIStory_484044.html
I refer to Jan 27, Wednesday's letter by Mr Wong Yeow Chong, 'Be single-minded about having more babies', and Ms Huang Meifang's response on Saturday, 'Govt’s done enough, it’s up to couples'.
It was reported on Tuesday, Jan 26 that for the first time in five years, Singaore has had fewer babies. I agree with Mr Wong that the cost of living is quite high in Singapore while people are busy with work and study in order to be more competitive, but I think the root cause of not or postponing procreating is that nowadays people’s view on marriage and family is quite different from the tradition, as what Ms Huang said, “many people simply do not see procreation as a priority”.
Through the ages, having children and bring up them are considered as a must for couples, especially in eastern culture. In ancient China, no posterity was even regarded as the greatest offense against filial piety. However, today many couples no longer take procreation and parenting as their duties. Some of them think that they do not have enough time and money to provide decent home environments or good educations for children. For some wealthy people, they love their new additions so much and prefer to spend lavish time and money on pets rather than babies. It seems that people today are not willing to take physical and mental pressure to raise children, making greater commitment.
Although people’s changing mindsets and attitudes is the basic reason, the high cost of living also has a great influence on the fertility rate in Singapore. Looking after aging parents, saving for retirements, high medical costs, rocketing house and commodity prices with low salary increment, how can parents have enough time and money to put effort on children? The government did put effort to increase the birthrate, like introducing a “baby bonus” scheme, but there are more the government can do to help procreation. Besides developing the economy, which is the prerequisites for everything, the government can also reduce the medical cost and educational expenses for children. Chinese government has declined the tuition for primary school students in 2008. Perhaps Singapore government can learn from this and do better. Moreover, increase propaganda on the traditional marriage and family values. Encourage more young couples to face the pressure and enjoy the happiness of raising children.
To have children or not, everyone needs to consider about this (except “accidents”). What the government can do is to change people’s attitudes and provide more economic benefits for parents and children.
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Appropriate opening and clear structure. This enables readers to follow your stand and thoughts easily.
ReplyDeleteWhat I like about your response is the fact that you are able to go beyond the immediate context to look at similar scenario in your own country.
With better language structure and expressions, I'm certain you are do much better in your subsequent responses/reflections.
Thank you very much^_^ I'd appreciate it if you can correct my essay, then I will benefit a lot.
ReplyDeleteI found writing news reflections and comments on blogs was quite helpful to my English study. I can also learn a lot from my classmates' blogs.
And I really wonder how do you feel about the falling fertility rate in Singapore? Not only in Singapore, but many developed countries.
I think Sally did a good job in analysing the reasons for the decline of the birth rate in Singapore.I quite like the suggestion you posted at last.I think what government should do is not just encourage couples to have more children but also male more comprehensive policies to ensure the happy family lives with children and the parents can really take the responsibility to take good care of children.In this way, hopefully, the young may change their attitudes towards procreation.
ReplyDeletesonia
I strongly agree with you opinion on the current question about falling fertility. Yes, I can feel it that nowadays, people seem do not like to have babies. Besides the reasons you have mentioned: the high physical and mental pressure, not enough time and money, I think there is another reason for the problem, which is the independence of the youth. Today, the young couples are about 25 years old, they got a different type of education as our parents got. In my opinion, the morden education system makes the youth independent and this let them put more energy on themselves, but not upbringing children.
ReplyDelete-Peter
I agree with you that the decling fertility rate results from two aspects. One is the financial burden and the anther one is the busy life. Just like what you refered to, they are busy with their work, their study, and even their pets to improve the quality of their lives.Do you think they are a little bit selfish?
ReplyDeleteI think the primary reason for the existence of this kind of selfishness is that they don't psych up to be parents. As the quality of life improve a lot nowadays, the youth all have easy childhood which means less anxiety and responsibility. So, when referring to have a child, they cannot image to endure the pressure from the heavy responsibility and also lack courage to take it. They would rather to live alone with no worries as what an old saying describe the bachelors- 'If one is full, the whole family will not be hungry'.==+
I think, beside what you have suggested(that a really good and practical solution), the government should also pay attention to the education of the youth. If the attitude towards having children is ingrained through the first half of their lives, it will become a formidable abstacle to raise the fertility rate.
Elaine
I strongly agree with you that people's attitude is the most crucial factor to affect this phenomenon. At the old times, people regarded having a baby as a precious wealth in their life. Besides, they took bringing up the children as a pleasure. However, nowadays, more people choose not have baby, because they think a baby means a lot of time, energy and money will be paid on the children, which is a burden for them to enjoy the life.
ReplyDeleteThough, goverment has already taken some actions on financial way, but i think changing people's mind to enjoy life with a baby is virtual way to solve this problem.
BY kevin
I strongly agree with you. In Singapore, many couples do not want to have for many reasons. They thought about their burden and the lives of children. However, there are still many reasons of having children which need consideration.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, a child could increase the stability of his/her family. Nowadays, divorces are not unfamiliar things to us and many of them happend to Dink family. A child can make parents thinking twice when they are impetuous.
Secondly, a child could be the propulsion of parents to keep them motivated. Almost parent work to provide a better environment for their children. Thus, the families live more comfortable and promote social progress.
Having a baby or not is a important decision in a person's life. I hope they can think about the advantages first.
By Seth
Thank you, Elaine! I think your suggestion about more education on youth would be quite useful, but telling a group of teenagers that they should raise children in the future seems a bit radiculous… And about what you said, "they are a little bit selfish" and "the primary reason", I just regard this as "changing mindsets and attitudes"(may be a euphemism ╮(╯_╰)╭). I can not judge yet whether not to have children equals selfishness. To tell the truth, now I can understand people who want to have children and those who do not. Is it wrong to give up procreation? Do you want to have children in the future? And when?(⊙o⊙)…
ReplyDeleteWow, Seth, you really are an expert on marriage and family!(～ o ～)Heh, heh, heh…
ReplyDeleteThe two points are very powerful. From your views we can see that children play an indispensable and irreplaceable role in the sound development of marriage and family.
Peter, I agree that "the modern education system makes today's youth independent", but not egocentric. It is good for young people to be independent, thus they can think and judge things by themselves and be more responsible and mature. However, for people who only care about themselves, they are self-centered and of course do not want to take the responsibility of raising children.
ReplyDeleteSonia, thanks for your support~O(∩_∩)O~
ReplyDeleteJust curious, will you have children or not? Why?When?(And with who?Hahahaha…)
Kevin, see above^_^
ReplyDeleteI quite agree with your opinions . Because , people have the right to choose whether they want a baby or not . However ,generally speaking , every couple want a baby as long as the condition is available . Try to think about it , if a couple have commodious and bright house , a fangled car , working with high salary and high social condition , why don’t they want a baby . So ,the reasons why so many people still hesitate to have a child many totally base on the rocketing commodity and house prices , high education fee and high pressure from social competition . Therefore , people need the government to take care of this issue and consciously launch certain policies to help them . For example , the government can arrange some bonus for the couple whose situation is considered as allowance needed .
ReplyDeleteJohn
Hi,Sally. I think there is a bit misunderstending in your reply ╮(╯_╰)╭.. I think what we can do is not to directly tell them to have children in the future. What i mean is that their unwillingness to have children may result from their easy childhood. They may fear to take the responsibility of taking care of a child.Therefore, we should take action to teach them to be more resiponsible.It is a method to pyche them up to be parents.
ReplyDeleteBesides, I think I am more conservative. In my opinion, a family is uncompleted unless it has a child.......