Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Introduction
Hello, we are Robert, Christopher, Muhammad and Hassan. We are from Peicai Secondary School. We are here to know more about the recent headlines of the cause of Low Birth Rate In Singapore. We have interviewed 7 people between the age of 30 and 70 years old to investigate the impacts of Low Birth Rate In Singapore. We asked the people of the public about their opinions on how Singapore can improve on the Low Birth Rate situation. The rest of the blog will show how we done our survey and our findings.
Background Informations
It has been observed that Singapore experiences a low rate of population growth mainly the cause of low birth rate, people tend to have fewer babies.
Factors that lead to a low birth rate:
Later Marriages:
More poeple are marrying later and having children later in their lives. This could be due to the fact that more women now receiving degrees than in the past and hence would choose to pursue a career before retiring and having plans to have children. Since most of the ladies cannot conceive babies after they reach the age of 50, those who marry later or delay having children are left with lesser years to have childrens.
Fewer Marriages:
As more singaporeans choose to remain single, there will be fewer families and birth rates will fall. With fewer births, the number of young people in the population decreases.
Preference for smaller families:
Increasingly, people in Singapore prefer to have smaller families. This is partly due to the increasing number of working women who find it difficult to balance work and family and hence choose to have fewer children. More singaporeans today also feel that the cost of raising children has increased. Such changing trends and values have led to some couples not having any children at all!
Effect on low birth rate in Singapore:
Fertility figures:
Singapore's TFR(Total Fertility Rate) of 1.16 for last year places in lower thn Japan and South Korea, which have TFRs of 1.2 and 1.22 respectively. Taiwan now has the lowest TFR in the world at 0.91. But some population experts think that last year's drop in birthrate might be because of other reasons and could be reversed this year. It is believed by some to be an unlucky year last year for having children as the Chinese zodiac year of the Tiger. With the economy growing strongly and the good years of the Rabbit and Dragon coming up, the TFR is likely to stabilise - or rise this year.
Consequence of a low rate of population growth in Singapore:
Higher Taxes:
Public projects such as the building of hospitals and community centres are funded by taxes collected from the working population. With a shrinking population, fewer people will be in the workforce. This will mean that each working person will have to pay more taxes to fund public projects, such as building more public facilities such as swimming pools and libraries.
Action to manage a low rate of population growth in Singapore:
Encouraging marriage and childbearing:
One solution to the problems of a low rate of population growth is to increase birth rates. The government can encourage married couples to have more children. In Singapore, couples are now encourage to have three or more children. For example, women who have children younger are given more tax rebates, that is, the amount of taxes that they have to pay is reduced. The government has also encouraged the setting up of more child care centres to look after children while their parents are at work.
Sources: The Straits Times Jan 18, 2011. Earth our home Textbook.
Factors that lead to a low birth rate:
Later Marriages:
More poeple are marrying later and having children later in their lives. This could be due to the fact that more women now receiving degrees than in the past and hence would choose to pursue a career before retiring and having plans to have children. Since most of the ladies cannot conceive babies after they reach the age of 50, those who marry later or delay having children are left with lesser years to have childrens.
Fewer Marriages:
As more singaporeans choose to remain single, there will be fewer families and birth rates will fall. With fewer births, the number of young people in the population decreases.
Preference for smaller families:
Increasingly, people in Singapore prefer to have smaller families. This is partly due to the increasing number of working women who find it difficult to balance work and family and hence choose to have fewer children. More singaporeans today also feel that the cost of raising children has increased. Such changing trends and values have led to some couples not having any children at all!
Effect on low birth rate in Singapore:
Fertility figures:
Singapore's TFR(Total Fertility Rate) of 1.16 for last year places in lower thn Japan and South Korea, which have TFRs of 1.2 and 1.22 respectively. Taiwan now has the lowest TFR in the world at 0.91. But some population experts think that last year's drop in birthrate might be because of other reasons and could be reversed this year. It is believed by some to be an unlucky year last year for having children as the Chinese zodiac year of the Tiger. With the economy growing strongly and the good years of the Rabbit and Dragon coming up, the TFR is likely to stabilise - or rise this year.
Consequence of a low rate of population growth in Singapore:
Higher Taxes:
Public projects such as the building of hospitals and community centres are funded by taxes collected from the working population. With a shrinking population, fewer people will be in the workforce. This will mean that each working person will have to pay more taxes to fund public projects, such as building more public facilities such as swimming pools and libraries.
Action to manage a low rate of population growth in Singapore:
Encouraging marriage and childbearing:
One solution to the problems of a low rate of population growth is to increase birth rates. The government can encourage married couples to have more children. In Singapore, couples are now encourage to have three or more children. For example, women who have children younger are given more tax rebates, that is, the amount of taxes that they have to pay is reduced. The government has also encouraged the setting up of more child care centres to look after children while their parents are at work.
Sources: The Straits Times Jan 18, 2011. Earth our home Textbook.
Methodology
We interviewed a total of 7 people. We asked people whose ages ranged from 32-65. We asked them at AMK Hub and told them our purpose of asking them a few questions.
We asked them the following questions:
1. Are you married?/ Yes, How many children do you have? or How many children are you planning to have?/ No, How many children do you intend to have after getting married?
2.Why do you want to have children? or Why you do not want to have any children?
3.Are you planing to have more children?
4. What is stopping you from having more than 1-2 children?
5.What are the other reasons why singaporeans do not want to have children?
6.What do you think can happen if Singapore continues to have a low birth rate?
7.What can the government do to encourage you to have more children?
We asked them the following questions:
1. Are you married?/ Yes, How many children do you have? or How many children are you planning to have?/ No, How many children do you intend to have after getting married?
2.Why do you want to have children? or Why you do not want to have any children?
3.Are you planing to have more children?
4. What is stopping you from having more than 1-2 children?
5.What are the other reasons why singaporeans do not want to have children?
6.What do you think can happen if Singapore continues to have a low birth rate?
7.What can the government do to encourage you to have more children?
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