PM Lee urges more babies in Year of Rabbit

[Chenonceau]

Sorry to belabour the point... but man! I still want paternity leave.


http://petunialee.blogspot.com/2011/02/paternity-leave-hits-norway-cabinet.html

[janet88]

Chenonceau:

Sorry to belabour the point... but man! I still want paternity leave.

YES, make the paternity leave COMPULSORY.
Bonding with the child starts from BIRTH.

[kiasu2011]

phankao:

kiasu2011:

FT come here becos they can make money from this place and not becos they \"love\" this place very much.

In reality, years ago, our forefathers did the same, right? They were our FT of the older years. Some managed to go home, some stayed bc it got complicated going back during the closed-door regime and not very pleasant either. In fact, best for them not to go back bc back then, those who were found to have family members overseas were prosecuted even more!

And so our forefathers stayed, and here we are! Now the northeners are coming in. Similar history right? Except now they have way more options than our forefathers did. The world is way more accessible.

I think most country are facing the same FT problem. If we go there for holiday , they welcome with both hands . if go there as FT , they will hate us becos they will be competingwih us for their rice bowl

[daddybear]

phankao:

My neighbour's was still nursing at 8 years old, I remember. He's a huge-sized tall boy of 16 years old now.

Sorry sorry, I need to understand this point... when you say nursing, this means drink milk (commercial milk) or breastfeeding? :shock:

[ANobleNerd]

kaitlynangelica:

phankao:

[quote=\"kaitlynangelica\"]

And I disagree that the kids are not expensive. They definitely are! Everything adds up....first its their milk and diapers....followed by medical bills........what about textbooks and uniforms? Even CCA's are not free.

Milk CAN be free.

Not for 6 years right?[/quote]At 6 years (primary school), milk might not be free, but their education is.

[kiasu2011]

janet_lee88:

kwk9060:

[quote=\"Busymom\"]we can't depend on only those who can afford to have more kids.

Those who can afford are not having more kids cos they plan too far and thinks that they cannot afford.

Those who can well afford will not think that way...they want to have one child or 2 and still enjoy the spas, Europe/Japan holidays and stay in nice luxurious houses.[/quote]at the moment in singapore is those can afford dun want baby n those cannot afford make a lot of baby
so the gahmen hope is those who can afford make more baby n those cannot afford dun make baby.

[phankao]

daddybear:

phankao:

My neighbour's was still nursing at 8 years old, I remember. He's a huge-sized tall boy of 16 years old now.

Sorry sorry, I need to understand this point... when you say nursing, this means drink milk (commercial milk) or breastfeeding? :shock:

Erm, how else you get FREE milk??? I don't mean the 16yo is bfdg, lah. I meant until 6 to 8 years old. Majority of kids would naturally self-wean by 2 to 4 years of age though. And there is no necessity to continue giving cow's milk apart from their meals, hence, no need to pay for milk, lor!

[phankao]

ANobleNerd:

kaitlynangelica:

[quote=\"phankao\"]
Milk CAN be free.

Not for 6 years right?

At 6 years (primary school), milk might not be free, but their education is. [/quote]got to pay like S$10/mth, lah. Where got free education in Singapore? Or....hey, you are getting free education for your kids??! Wei, HOW COME!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ANobleNerd]

phankao:

got to pay like S$10/mth, lah. Where got free education in Singapore? Or....hey, you are getting free education for your kids??! Wei, HOW COME!!!!!!!!!!!!

S$10 isn't for school fees. It's for the miscellaneous fees like partial payment of utilities, maintainance etc. The government pays for the teachers' and other staff salary, etc. Even textbooks are subsidised - otherwise the cost of texts for schools would be open to market forces and be too expensive for many to afford.

Therefore, for all intent and purpose, Education IS FREE in Singapore.

As per our http://statutes.agc.gov.sg/non_version/cgi-bin/cgi_getdata.pl?actno=1999-REVED-CONST&doctitle=CONSTITUTION%20OF%20THE%20REPUBLIC%20OF%20SINGAPORE%0A&date=latest&method=part&segid=931158659-000271:[quote]Rights in respect of education
16. —(1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 12, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen of Singapore on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth —
(a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees; or
(b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside Singapore).
[/quote]From http://www.moe.gov.sg/initiatives/financial-assistance/, you can see that Financial Aid is available for needy students, but in the table, under 'School Fees' for primary students, it's stated 'Not Applicable'.

As for myself, I'm not getting free education for any of my kids - my homeschooling son doesn't qualify for Edusave, and my preschoolers won't get free education until they reach formal school age, and when they become part of the system.

[phankao]

ANobleNerd:

At 6 years (primary school), milk might not be free, but their education is.

[quote]got to pay like S$10/mth, lah. Where got free education in Singapore? Or....hey, you are getting free education for your kids??! Wei, HOW COME!!!!!!!!!!!![/quote][quote]S$10 isn't for school fees. It's for the miscellaneous fees like partial payment of utilities, maintainance etc. The government pays for the teachers' and other staff salary, etc. Even textbooks are subsidised - otherwise the cost of texts for schools would be open to market forces and be too expensive for many to afford.[/quote]true, but not totally free, lah. Still have to pay. But schooling in singapore is relatively cheap.