boosting birth rate?Tuesday, March 06, 2007
THE FRIENDSHIP CLUBThis is not a personal swipe at Hong Kah GRC's MP Ang Mong Seng, but I find the idea of a friendship club as being too "desperate" and inappropriate. Indeed, Singapore total fertility rate is a troublesome issue, well below the replacement total fertility rate(TFR) of 2.1. In years to come, Singapore would be left supporting an ageing population and the adverse impacts that accompany it. Also, with some of sectors of the population growing at a faster rate than the others, this new situation threatens to upset our social stability, which is painstakingly protected by our Government. No wonder, our MPs are wrecking their brains over this touchy issue in a bid to boost our nation's ailing birth rate.
However, the proposal of friendship club does not seem the perfect solution to this problem. Beside the new potential dangers that this proposal could bring, the whole idea of the need to teach youths the skill of socialising and interacting is simply a derogatory concept. Personally, I felt that this was just another nice phrase to criticise the social networking of Singapore youths. What would other nation think about Singapore and its citizens if this proposal becomes a reality? That Singaporeans are so hopeless in relationship thus warranting the need to introduce a crash course as a CCA in secondary school. Or why not abolish the rules preventing the "shortening of skirt" in secondary school to convert potential gays into straight, thus boosting our birth rates as well. The whole point is that Singapore, which prides itself as a modern and first-world country, could deal with the problem much better than just a friendship club.
What is the root of the problem? Is it the emancipation of women? The growing line of birth-control products? Or is the stress of living in a highly competitive society hindering our reproducing abilities? In any case, the root of the problem must be addressed before signs of progress can be observed. In my own humble opinion, this is not an easy feat to achieve, which is why half-hearted or simple efforts would not work wonders.
What we need is a comprehensive strategy to tackle this problem whole-heartedly.
Kudos to Hong Kah GRC's MP Ang Mong Seng for boldly suggesting this idea and for his good intentions to increase the TFR. Bon children? -laughs-
