Loh Meng See
Singapore
“Sir, on Infocomm 21 plan, this has been implemented for some years now. I would like to ask the Minister to give us an update on the expenditure and the benefits that have been derived from those investments. Recently, the CEO of IDA announced the Government's plan to widen the scope of the network and introduce better technologies.”
“Sir, I am happy that the Government is allocating new funds for the Library 2010 project. I just want to ask what can the public expect from this additional $118 million that has been provided for.”
“Sir, on the HDB shops, my request is for the Ministry to consider granting the exit package to the rental shops, if their business is not viable and there is an over-capacity.”
“We have heard what Dr Lily Neo and Dr Chong mention about the geriatrics and the need for home nursing care. Many do not have CPF accounts to enjoy the Medisave top-ups.”
“We have been down this road before. Let us not falter, but let us persevere and build up ourselves with the right values, virtues and beliefs to galvanise our people forward. We need to remind ourselves that there is no free lunch.”
“Sir, media competition among local newspapers and TV stations is bearing fruits as consumers are getting better quality products and services. I am pleased to also note the progress of Singapore Press Holdings and Lianhe Zaobao in making inroads into China and also Channel NewsAsia gaining greater viewership in regional countries.”
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“Sir, I am going to speak on information technology. The Government is spending a total sum of $1,091 million for the IT Masterplan in Education. For FY98, an estimated sum of $349 million has been provided as development expenditure on the provision of information technology resources for primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges. As the large proportion of the expenditure on IT is development in nature, what would the likely recurring expenditure be? We know from the experience of the financial services industry that IT incurs very high overhead cost if the operations were to be maintained at the full level of efficiency. May I ask the Minister what would the parents then be asked to pay for the high cost of IT applications in school? Will it pose a burden to them if the school fees are to be increased, because of IT cost? The Educational Technology Division has been tasked to implement MOE's Information Technology Masterplan and provide direction on the use of education technology in schools. May we know from the Minister how IT will change the teaching and learning in the classrooms. Will the classrooms of the future be re-configured? Maybe the Minister can shed some light on this, though the Minister has touched briefly on it yesterday. It is indicated that the Ministry will be developing less educational technology materials from 501 in FY97 to 127 in FY98. I would like to ask the Minister why is it so. Does it mean that there would be less development work done in-house and more are being out-sourced to multimedia publishing houses? Or has the Ministry already developed the bulk of the educational technology materials and, therefore, there is less need for developmental work in the year?”
“The schools can tap the alumni, parents and even get grandparents as "student-minding" resources and facilitators in the after school care programme. This is also an area where the Community Development Councils can play an active role. Sir, the Straits Times recently reported a survey finding that less than a quarter of our youths would turn to their parents for advice. They would rather confide in their friends and get advice from their buddies. Our schools must reinforce the importance of parents as partners in the education of their children. The schools now arrange for the parents to meet with the teachers regularly to obtain feedback on their children's performance and behaviour in school. It would help if seminars are organised for parents to meet among themselves to share experience and to learn from one another the time-tested parenting methods. I think Mr Iswaran spoke about it yesterday. The school can facilitate better parent-child relationship and encouraging them to spend as much time as possible together. It is when the family develops the strong bonds that there is less likelihood for children to misconduct themselves inside and outside school. We can easily take the attitude that family relationship is outside the purview of teachers and the ministry but, unfortunately, we cannot easily segregate one part from the other. Parents are indeed partners in the education of their children. I hope more can be done in school to foster closer family ties.”
“This would minimise the incidence of our young getting into disciplinary problems in schools and breaking the law. Every child who goes astray and gets into trouble with the law is a loss to the family and society. This, in Singapore, we can ill afford. Sir, a characteristic of a good school is one that enforces strict discipline on its pupils. Parents share this view because they believe that a high standard of discipline is good for their children. It is true that "for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant; later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." But discipline can only come when students have respect for their teachers and fear the authority of the teachers. Here, I would urge all parents to support the teachers in their work, especially when the child deserves to be disciplined. All our teachers are well-trained professionals who are able to deal with their pupils appropriately. 12.45 pm I wish to commend the Ministry for increasing the number of coordinators for the pastoral care and guidance programme from 476 in FY97 to 1,014 in FY98. This shows that the Ministry is aware of the problems faced by our students and the need to help them overcome their difficulties in school work and relationship with others. The pastoral care and counselling services offered in our schools will go a long way to help students maintain their self-esteem and motivate them to strive to achieve their fullest potential. This pastoral care and guidance programme can also tie in with the after school care programme to facilitate the success of the single session schools.”
“Sir, I am going to talk about discipline. Sir, of late, we are seeing a spate of youth violence and juvenile delinquencies in public places. There is also a rising trend of teenage girls getting into trouble with the law. I wonder whether the situation is as serious in our schools. I am sure the Education Ministry is equally concerned with the behaviour of students, both inside and outside school. We have to nip the problem of young offenders in the bud. This would require the support and cooperation of parents, teachers, community leaders, neighbours and friends to reverse this unhealthy trend before it gets worse and out of control. We are already facing problems with illegal immigrants, and we certainly do not wish to aggravate the situation with our own citizens, especially from our youths. The Italian educator and a pioneer in early childhood education, Maria Montessori, believed that: `The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined is that of the difference between good and evil, and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility, and evil with activity.' Sir, early childhood education is very important. I am not sure that we should be satisfied with the present state of early childhood education in Singapore. I wish to urge the Ministry to take concrete steps to improve the standard of early childhood education. We need better trained and better quality care-givers in our nursery schools, kindergartens and child care centres. The Government can be more generous by setting aside a portion of the foreign maid levy to support early childhood education for our toddlers and young children. We should spare no efforts in whatever ways possible to bring up healthy children of good character.”
“Teachers are also affected when they perceive inequitable distribution of workload assigned by the principal. Teachers also lament that they have to take on administrative and clerical work at the expense of their teaching roles. We should build and develop more trusting relationship and team spirit among principals and teachers in our school. The Ministry has already provided school administrators in schools and launched the School Clusters Scheme. I wish to ask the Minister on the improvements made towards achieving excellence in the management of our schools. Perhaps it is also time for the Ministry to seriously consider the setting up of a Principals College to train and develop potential talents and those already holding the principal's position. In the Ministry's budget, 511 temporary and relief staff positions have been done away with. Does it mean that the positions have been regularised and made permanent? In the new financial year there is the need to recruit 1,750 teachers. We need highly committed and dedicated individuals to join the teaching profession. With the recent large intakes of new and younger teachers, I would imagine that the median age and the average length of service of teachers will be lower. We may have better educated and more knowledgeable teachers, but I wonder whether they have the necessary experience and maturity to handle, for example, the teenage students in secondary schools. I also understand that we are short of English Language teachers. This has affected the general performance of students in the "O" level examinations in English Language. What are the Ministry's plans in attracting and retaining very good English Language teachers in our schools?”
“The planned changes in the National Education programme, information technology, creativity and thinking skills and curriculum review, will not be successful if we do not have the support and commitment of the teachers. The teachers must be persuaded to own the new approaches in teaching methodology, instructional materials and assessment modes. We have to find new and better ways to involve teachers in empowering them to enhance their work performance and bring about the desired outcomes in our students. Perhaps the Minister can give us an update on the progress made in the implementation of the key initiatives of the Education Ministry. The Ministry of Education has done much in recent years to improve the salaries and conditions of service for teachers. The anticipated slower growth of the economy may require the civil service to either freeze or moderate the salary increases of public sector employees. I hope the Ministry will consider carefully whether any wage restraint exercise in the civil service should be extended to those in the Education Service. I believe that there is still some catching up to do in the remuneration package of the teachers. Now is a good time for our teachers to be recognised and rewarded with competitive salaries, promotion and career development opportunities. This will enhance the status of teachers in our society. Besides the salaries and fringe benefits, there are other aspects of the job that can uplift the morale of the teachers. Teacher-principal relation is important. The transfers and postings of principals to new schools should be better planned and communicated to teachers, students and parents. Teachers are affected by the leadership and competencies of principals in making firm and fair decisions.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. In this year's budget, the Government has provided a total sum of $5,700 million for expenditure on education. This is made up of $3,785 million for operating expenditure and $1,915 million for development expenditure. The total expenditure on education constitutes 3.6% of GDP and 20% of total Government expenditure. For every $5 that Government spends, $1 goes to education. I wish to commend the Government for giving top priority to education. The Government has not allowed the present regional financial crisis to affect our focus on the long term competitiveness, growth and development of Singapore. Sir, brain power is the basis for Singapore's success today and the spring-board of our prospects tomorrow. If we look back on our lives, we can remember fondly the teachers who have affected us. We will readily attribute our development and achievements to those beloved teachers who had excited our imaginations and set us on the path which we have subsequently followed. Education is a human enterprise. It is people, teachers, students, administrators and parents, who make the difference between success and failure in our school system. But teachers are the key. Teachers open the door to new knowledge and moral values. Teachers are at the forefront of implementation of school and educational policies. In the classrooms, teachers wield considerable influence on the students in the way they teach and behave. There is definitely a link between teacher-effectiveness and school performance.”
“Is there not a need for an independent panel set up under the Ministry of Manpower to ensure that the foreign talents employed in the private sector are indeed assets to Singapore? We want to be fair to Singaporeans in the competition for suitable employment and that the foreign talents selected are indeed of very high quality for the long-term good of Singapore. A few years ago, HDB sold shops and hawker stalls to the sitting tenants. In recent times, the businesses of these shops and stallholders have been adversely affected. With the economic downturn and the decline in business, the higher interest rates have made it difficult for some businesses to service the loans from banks. Is there any way in which the Government could help to alleviate the situation of affected owners of HDB shops and hawker stalls? Will HDB continue with its sale of shops programme in the new areas? At the macro level, the general economic situation appears satisfactory. However, at the individual firm level, there are serious challenges and difficulties faced by our small and medium-sized businesses. The manufacturing and services sectors employ a large number of workers and contribute a substantial amount to our GDP. The Minister for Finance has indicated that there would be off-budget measures to tackle the specific problems of the different sectors. I hope that timely measures would be taken for if they come in too late, many otherwise good businesses that we wish to help would have gone asunder and would have become casualties. We have to try our very best to save as many jobs as possible. I think jobs will be important in the coming years. Sir, I support the motion. 3.00 pm”
“Our well-educated and hard working workforce has given Singapore the competitive edge and contributing to strong economic growth and development. However, the Government could have given working adults more financial help to encourage them to pursue continuing education programmes. In difficult times, many employers are not likely to provide additional funds for training and development of their officers and staff. Company training tends to suffer during times of belt tightening and cost containment. Also, there is likely to be more retrenchments this year and those who are out of work could go for further training whilst looking for alternative employment. Perhaps the Skills Development Fund could review its policy to be more generous in providing the necessary help to employers and individuals who seek to attend training courses to upgrade themselves and enhance their competencies to remain employable and perform their jobs better. During this period of economic slowdown, many Singaporeans would be losing their jobs through retrenchment because companies are facing financial difficulties. We have, therefore, to be judicious and impose stringent standards when approving the employment permits for foreigners who want to work and settle down in Singapore. In fields where local talents are in short supply, for example, in information technology and telecommunications, there would be less repercussions. But it is still vague as to what constitutes "talent". Should we allow the employers only to decide? Are our bureaucrats competent enough to assess the true foreign talent? The Public Service Commission scrutinises all top talents that join the civil service.”
“We hope to help restore confidence and bring the economies of our neighbours back to an even keel. We have not been very successful so far because of domestic circumstances, but the message and signals from Singapore have been clear. Singapore wants to be helpful during this period of currency turmoil. Our national interest and prosperity is tied to that of our neighbours. Singapore's line of credit under the IMF programme to Indonesia shows our Government's resolve to help in Indonesia's stability, progress and development. The sooner that the countries in the region recover, the better it is for all of us. A stable and prosperous ASEAN is indeed beneficial to all. Sir, the main thrust of this year's budget is to prepare Singaporeans for the tough years ahead but, more importantly, to prepare ourselves for the recovery that will come, with Singapore emerging even stronger than we did in the aftermath of the 1985 recession. How long this economic slowdown will take, no one can predict because of the volatility and uncertainty of the situation. One thing is certain: the recovery will come. What is needed is for us to continue with the prudent long-term policies. Singapore, under the PAP Government, has consistently pursued sound policies with strong fundamentals that provide for the long-term good of our people. We are prepared and stand ready for difficult times ahead. The Government has once again placed top priority in education. The hefty 30% increase provided for expenditure on education is very significant as it constitutes 3.6% of GDP and one-fifth of total Government expenditure. The investment in education has always been proved to be worthwhile. The high standards of education given to our young has paid handsome dividends in the quality of our manpower.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there would not be any bond breaking in my speech! This year's budget is oriented towards strengthening and elevating Singapore's position as a premier international financial centre. Whilst the countries in the region are struggling with the crisis of confidence in the banking and financial sectors, Singapore is in the enviable position of keeping our credibility and reputation intact. There is strong confidence in Singapore's banking system and the viability of the financial services industry. Even then, we are not spared from the ill effects of the meltdown in the regional economies. The international financial community is a very important constituency. Our Government recognises this and tries to address the issues and concerns of the foreign fund managers and foreign players in the international capital markets. Some regional countries have blamed their sad state of affairs on "international conspiracy" of the currency speculators that started and fuelled the currency crisis. If indeed there are areas that foreigners can create problems on the domestic economy, we have to be careful that the rights of Singaporeans to decide their own destiny are not jeopardised. Singapore is already a very open economy. Foreigners are already owning assets and shares in Singapore. These foreigners will next want to seek control over "blue chip" Singapore banks and companies which are strategic to our national interest. We ought to ensure that the foreigners do not take over control of key sectors of our economy which pose dangers and security risk to our country. We should continue to open our economy so long as there are benefits to be obtained from as diverse a group of foreign investors as possible. Singapore has taken active steps to support our neighbours.”
“Sir, I would like to thank all the Ministers for the very comprehensive response and beg leave to withdraw the amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“And as Mr Peter Chen has quite eloquently put it, our education system is full of bridges and ladders which allow students to move from one stream to another stream, from one course to another course and allow them to progress and advance. This has dramatically improved the performance of our students. I will ask Dr Wong to address some of the issues on professionalism.”
“They say that the accountability system has created a noticeable fear of failure among the schools and among the teachers, but it has motivated them to do much, much better than they had done before. The article goes on to say that pressure does in fact pay off. So we do not want to be excessive, but I think that pressure, in reasonable amounts, and competition have encouraged our schools to do better and the results actually show them. 3.00 pm I will go on now to talk about single session schools and streaming, which were raised by Mr Low Thia Khiang. The Government will turn all our secondary schools into single session schools by the year 2000. We are building 16 new schools and adding new blocks to 28 schools to allow this to take place. The feedback that we have received from those schools which have been operating single sessions indicates that this is very well received. They do not have any significant problems at all. In fact, they welcome this very much. On streaming, we have some numbers here. Before streaming, the drop-out rate for primary school students was something like 20%. For secondary school students, another 20%. The drop-out rate today, after streaming, for primary school students is 0.4% and for secondary school students, it is 4%. So streaming has made a dramatic improvement in the number of students to progress from one level to another. Streaming has worked because it has allowed students to progress at a pace and level which they can cope with. Therefore, it does not discourage them to stay in school. It encourages them to stay in school.”
“In fact, the results show that the bottom 20 secondary schools in the 1992 ranking exercise improved their mean subject grade by almost half a grade, which is not bad, those in the top and middle 20 in 1992 have gained about a quarter of a grade. So actually ranking does add a little bit of spice and it encourages the schools to do better, which I think is a good thing. In the United States, they have discovered this as well. I would like to read to Members some excerpts from a newspaper, the San Jose Mercury News, 4th May 1997, which compared what happened in Texas and in California, both very big states, large populations and many educational problems. Texas managed to improve its educational performance dramatically, and the article asked: "So what's the secret behind the Texas turnaround?" And they say that most observers point to the state's new school accountability system, and that it is one of the few in the country. The ratings are derived mostly from results of the Texas assessment of academic skills. They have basically got a ranking system and they are very, very tough with their ranking system. High performing schools relish the recognition. Poor performing districts can be taken over by the state. Principals or entire staff of repeatedly low performing schools can be transferred out. And this year, Texas became possibly the first state to link teacher evaluations to test score. So they have been very, very tough. They go on to say that since 1993, one of the one-time low performing schools has tripled the number of students passing the Mathematics examinations. Nearly all the students in that school passed the writing examinations.”
“Paradoxically, I think if we reduce the number of subjects on which we rank schools, this may well encourage students to take those subjects which they would not necessarily ace, but which they may be interested in and which they will then want to take, and the schools will feel less constrained in allowing these students to take those subjects. So we will be changing the ranking basis for secondary schools and junior colleges to the same basis as is used for qualifying students to go on to the next stage, ie, polytechnics, pre-university and also from JCs to universities. We hope that this will reduce the pressure on the schools to use too much MSG. I must say though that ranking has its benefits, and this is something which we are going to continue with. I think ranking has achieved the objectives which we set out to achieve. It provides not only parents with an indication of how schools are doing, it provides the schools and the principals themselves with an indication of how they are doing in comparison to other schools which may have the same circumstances that they have. And I think the effect is really salutary. I personally do not concentrate so much on the ranking of the school by how well the students have done. I personally look at the value added of the schools and I pay a lot of attention to that particular aspect. As you know, the Ministry, in fact, gives small prizes to schools which have good value added. The top ten value added schools get $20,000. The next ten get $10,000 a year. I am personally visiting some of these value added schools to see what it is that they are doing which is right and which might be applied in other schools. We are not the only people in the world to do ranking and find benefit from it.”
“If such a programme is available, how many of our students participate each year in the programme and, if otherwise, whether our Government would consider promoting such a programme? RAdm Teo Chee Hean: Sir, Mrs Lim has asked about ranking in schools and whether this had some undesirable side effects. I would say that there have been some side effects out of the ranking system which have not been totally desirable. One of these is that students and schools may inadvertently be discouraged from taking subjects which they are weak in. I must say from the outset that it is not a bad thing to discourage students from taking subjects which they are weak in, because that will allow them to concentrate on subjects in which they can do well. But we should not be discouraging students from doing subjects which they can do reasonably well in, simply because that is going to affect the mean subject grade of a school and draw down its ranking. That is one of the disadvantages of using too much MSG, as Mrs Lim has said. So to make sure that we do not end up in this situation, what we have decided to do for ranking in the secondary schools is to use English and the best five subjects, which is really the basis that we use for admission beyond secondary school. It is a paradox here because we thought that by using mean subject grade, that means including all the subjects that a student takes, we would encourage students to take more subjects. But it has got the adverse effect, which is that students will take only those subjects which they can do well in.”
“When Singaporeans travel overseas, they learn much more about the history and culture of a particular place than they will probably learn from reading about it if they had not travelled. Invariably, through a process of comparison, Singaporeans learn to appreciate the differences between Singapore and the other countries. More often than not, it is through such encounters that Singaporeans gain a deeper understanding of what we are today. Because vacation time for Singaporeans is so short and therefore precious, the choice of destinations for travel for Singaporeans is very often restricted to the more developed places. Travelling to places such as Vietnam, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia usually does not rank very high on the Singaporeans' travelling agenda. As Singaporeans, it is imperative for us to understand our neighbours, their history, their culture and their forms of government. This understanding will not only give us a better insight of our neighbours but also appreciate the differences amongst nations in the region. No education in school could be complete unless the children themselves come to understand the region around us. By analogy, one never knows whether a line is crooked unless and until it is compared against a straight line. An understanding of the region will help to facilitate the strengthening of ties among countries in ASEAN, and will help to minimize potential conflict in the region. Accordingly, I would like to ask the Minister whether the Government has a programme of sending our students to ASEAN countries to give them a better appreciation and understanding of our neighbours in the region.”
“The recent announcement by the Public Service Division, and where BG Lee spoke on the subject of managing the poor performers in the civil service, may create some uncertainty and would require the assurance from the Minister that there is no serious problem in the performance of our teachers. Besides the financial rewards, non-monetary incentives are equally important. I am pleased that the Ministry will be providing teachers with at least 100 training hours a year. May I suggest that some overseas exposure and industry attachment be considered? What we need is for teachers to be constantly updated about things happening in the world, so that they have a better understanding of what is happening in the workplace and the work of different professions. Our teachers need to stay relevant in imparting their knowledge to prepare our young to face the future with confidence. Parents are also concerned when they see lessons being conducted by temporary relief teachers on a prolonged basis. We must try to reduce the over dependence of relief teachers. Perhaps the cluster school programme could look into this matter. Mr Sin Boon Ann (Tampines): Sir, the rising affluence in recent years has brought about a new phenomenon of Singaporeans travelling overseas for holidays. It is common for Singaporeans to book their holidays well in advance so that the parents and children can take time off to visit places and spend meaningful time together. Such travels by Singaporeans not only provide much opportunity for rest and recreation for the overworked and perhaps tired Singaporeans, but also form the basis of learning experience for many children accompanying their parents.”
“Sir, I like to echo what Mr Lim Swee Say said just now about teachers. I am very pleased to hear what the Minister for Education said yesterday, that he is personally aware and is concerned for the welfare of teachers, and that the Ministry is taking steps to improve the working conditions and making teaching a meaningful and worthwhile career. The excellent academic results in our schools owe much to the efforts of our teachers. We all remember our teachers and would attribute our success in later adult life to them for laying the strong foundation in our personal growth and development. I welcome the move by the Ministry to devolve the authority and responsibility under the school cluster programme. This also means that the leaders in the decentralised system have to be adequately prepared for the task, as it involves a new way of carrying out their duties. Their leadership and management skills are brought to bear in this new arrangement. This also provides avenues and opportunities for career growth and development in the field of school management. I wonder whether, under this cluster programme, the criteria and process involved in recruitment, selection and deployment of teachers would be changed. The acceptance of a member to the teaching team is important. It provides for stability and the possibility of good induction and mentorship for new teachers joining the group under the cluster school programme. It may also mean that the performance expectation and the assessment will be fine-tuned to meet the higher objectives expounded under the concept of thinking schools.”
“I am referring to those students who did not achieve good results in Secondary 4 (Normal) stream but they continued in Secondary 5 (Normal) and subsequently sat for their GCE "O" level examination. Will the Minister provide a breakdown of the performance of these Normal stream students in their GCE "O" level for the past few years and the number of students who may benefit if they had switched to ITE after Secondary 4 (Normal) and not pursue their Secondary 5 (Normal) education and subsequently their "O" level? Will the Minister also tell this House the performance of Normal students in their "O" and "A" level examinations? This year, for the first time, students from the Normal (Technical) Stream will sit for their "N" level. Will the Minister explain their performance so far when they started four years back and the opportunities and technical skills that are open to them? Lastly, I think that technical education will be accepted and seen to be beneficial to students and parents if it could be related to career opportunities in the near future. It will be good if the apprenticeship scheme (about 70 in ITE now) is extended so that parents and students could see the direct implications and benefits that they can receive through technical education and technical skills.”
“But it will be more effective if parents and students can accept ITE as a centre that provides technical education for engineering and business studies which are specialised and which provide them with ample opportunities for career prospects with high salaries in the future. Schools have to create awareness among students and parents about the opportunity in technical studies and the career paths for these ITE graduates. Sir, I am encouraged by the Ministry which published this magazine "I did it my way too" publicising the success of ITE graduates for the past few years. This magazine should not only be given to the students but also to the parents so that the parents could provide guidance to their children about the opportunities in technical education. Sir, I have brought up this issue because I am worried that our students and their parents do not fully maximize this opportunity. It is even sad if our students, when given a place in ITE, do not make full use of the opportunity by putting efforts in their studies and who eventually quit halfway. Today, the trade unions, working closely with the Government and employers, have opened up opportunities for workers in their 40s were not given the opportunity in education and technical skills when they were young. This effort will ensure that these workers obtain at least NTC-3 or NTC-2. With all the efforts put in, it is sad if our students do not make full use of the opportunity for acquiring technical education and technical skills in ITE. I would like to ask how many of our students in ITE do not complete their education or quit halfway before obtaining their NTC-2 or NTC-3. Another issue that needs our attention is whether our Normal stream students can do better in ITE.”
“On 7th July 1997, the Straits Times carried a story of an ITE student who joined the construction industry and was drawing about $2,500, just after working for two years. If you brush this case as an exception, the average monthly salary of $1,164 with the 2,239 graduates who responded to the latest ITE Graduate Employment Survey is just as inspiring. In addition, the employment rate was a high of 97%. These are very impressive figures. The ITE path looks very promising. Perhaps this is a better path for them. ITE training will provide them with immediately employable skills. For that matter, should we not also encourage normal academic graduates to take the ITE path? If they do well, they can proceed to the polytechnics. I think we can better answer this question if we know how previous batches of Normal (Academic) graduates have performed at "O" level examinations and thereafter. However, should more Normal stream graduates opt for ITE, do we have enough ITE places to accommodate them? Mr Hawazi Daipi (Sembawang)( In Malay): Sir, the emphasis on technical education in Singapore which started after independence has since changed. Today, training and technical education have expanded and our students have more opportunities to obtain technical education and technical skills such as engineering and business studies. Sir, I believe the benefits of technical education and technical skills will be maximised to our students, if the Institute of Technical Education is not regarded as a place for students who are weak academically. In this respect, the step taken by the Ministry of Education to stream the students to ITE after they have obtained their secondary education is commendable.”
“It is important for the Ministry to retain and channel these students to courses which they have the aptitude for. I think it is better for those doing GCE "N" level (Technical) stream to be channelled straightaway to the ITE courses instead of doing the GCE "O" level, as most of them fail to make the grade. They would then not have to waste their time for they would have achieved nothing if they fail their GCE "O" level. I suggest the ITE consider conducting courses where the students can take the relevant subjects at GCE "O" level examination while at ITE so that they can qualify to enter the polytechnic at a later date if they also possess the ITE certificate. However, for many other ITE graduates, they will have ample job opportunities available for them when they graduate. Sir, I also wish to emphasise the importance of business literacy even for ITE students. The knowledge acquired in business literacy will put them in good stead when they go out to work or start their own business. Possibly, the Minister could update the House on the progress made by ITE in recent years and what could we expect from the ITE in contributing to the skills training of young Singaporeans. Dr Tan Boon Wan (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, I would like to reinforce the comments and views of my GPC Chairman. Since the Normal (Technical) Stream was introduced some five years ago, the first batch of students should have graduated. I wonder if the Ministry would share with us the performance of the students and whether the course has achieved its objectives. The questions that follow would be: what further training should be provided for them, what should they do? Should they be encouraged to try for their "O" level?”
“Sir, my topic is on technical education. The other day, I read with interest a press report on the success of ITE graduates in securing well-paying jobs. The ITE graduates are able to command three to four times the salary of the daily-rated employees employed by the Ministry of the Environment. The salary of the DREs was mentioned by Mr Sinnakaruppan the other day. I am not at all surprised with this disparity of incomes between the highly skilled and unskilled workers in Singapore. When I was Chairman of the GPC for Health, I often heard doctors lamenting that Singaporeans begrudge paying the doctors their professional fees, but would readily pay even higher fees to the TV repairmen and plumbers. There is already a severe shortage of highly skilled technicians in Singapore. The service industry will grow in the future. The trend is towards sourcing of work from the homes, offices and factories. There would be a great demand for skilled technicians in the industries and corporations, and even for self-employed persons. This points to the attractive careers ahead for those well equipped with relevant skills, especially ITE graduates. Sir, it is natural for parents to want to send their children to university for tertiary education. However, it is important to realise that not every child has the academic ability to make it to the university. For some students, they are better suited to take up technical skills training so that they would be able to secure good paying jobs. 1.00 pm It is important for us to make the parents understand and be aware of the abundant employment opportunities available for students taking up courses in the ITE. About 20% of each year's cohort do not make it to the `O' levels.”
“To enable as many polytechnic graduates to qualify as possible, some bridging courses could be made available to qualify them to do their degrees in our universities. Perhaps the Minister can tell us what is the target composition and proportion of students doing different courses. What are the changes being made? Will there be enough arts and social sciences courses for those students who have both the interest and inclination to take up these courses in our local universities? There are plans to make the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) the third university in the future. There are also talks that the non-professional business courses at NUS and NTU will be transferred to SIM. Can the Minister confirm this? Will the "privately-run" SIM University mean higher fees charged for the undergraduates taking courses at SIM? More and more working adults are going back to school to earn their degrees and postgraduate qualifications. This is a healthy development, as they should not stop learning. The Open University has been operating for a few years now. Can the Minister update us on the progress made in the number of students and the standards of performance achieved by the students? Will more courses and programmes be made available so that more working adults can benefit from attendance at the Open University?”
“Our next phase of growth is to develop our two universities into world class institutions. We can make the student population of our universities more cosmopolitan by attracting the top students from both Singapore and overseas. This will also mean that the management structure of the universities has to change to give greater autonomy to the faculties to match the changing circumstances and conditions and meeting the challenges ahead. We want to promote inquiry and scholarship in areas which Singapore is well positioned. Our universities must be focused in their mission. We must guard against doing too much and stretching our resources unnecessarily. I am not sure whether the twin-goal of management training and development on the one hand, and research and innovation on the other, can be carried out simultaneously by the university academics. Will there be merit in considering separating the research and teaching functions? There should also be close rapport and working relationships between the universities and the junior colleges and the polytechnics, because the latter are the pipelines where the undergraduate students will be drawn from. The universities and manpower planners have decided that there would be greater requirement of scientists and engineers in the future. However, we should not neglect the arts and social sciences courses to make for the well-rounded individuals. Also, business literacy is important to prepare graduates to work in the real world. Does it also mean that greater opportunities will be available for polytechnic graduates in engineering-related courses to pursue their degree courses in the two universities?”
“Sir, I am speaking on the subject of university education. Our two universities, National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU), have made tremendous progress over the years. They now rank among the top universities in Asia. In the financial year 1997, we will be spending another $950 million to produce graduates with the requisite knowledge and skills for employment and promoting research and innovation. I am pleased to note that there is an increase in the operating grant by another $50 million in financial year 1997 to increase the student enrolment in both NUS and NTU. NUS would have an enrolment of 21,874 and NTU 12,367. The average annual subsidy to educate a student at NUS amounts to $28,000 and at NTU, $20,000. I presume the difference is because of the medical faculty. This is a substantial subsidy indeed. Recently, the university fees have been adjusted. The new fee restructure is a reversal from the previous principle of charging fees based on laboratory and non-laboratory courses. The question in the minds of parents and students is: what is the target subsidy they can expect from the Government in relation to the fees to be borne by them? Should all foreign students receive preferential treatment in fee subsidy? Would it not be better to confine only to top foreign students in the form of overseas scholarship awards? Perhaps the Minister can comment on this. Today, about 20% of each year's cohort are able to enjoy university education at the two universities. This is a vast improvement compared to the 5% of the year's cohort enrolling in the university in 1980. More young Singaporeans are able to enjoy the benefit of university education.”
“As Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has said, by the next century, the future of a nation will depend on our ability to learn as a people. I fully agree with the Prime Minister. I hope that the Minister for Education will seriously consider this suggestion of mine.”
“Those who are interested in the building industry, may work in a building contractor's firm, and at the same time attend courses in building science at a specialized school. Every student receives a fixed salary. I feel that this German educational model is worth emulating. I suggest that we allow students in these specialized schools the option to pursue one discipline or more than one discipline. At the end of the course, the Ministry of Education may, jointly with the relevant companies, award vocational certificates equivalent to the GCE `O' level standard to those who have successfully completed it. Under this new type of specialized school system, these students will benefit greatly. I believe that even after graduation, these students will spontaneously continue to further their studies because they are actually pursuing their own interest, and they will put in more efforts in their work and improve on it because they enjoy doing it. I personally feel that this will enable the slow learners and those who have failed in their academic studies to be given another opportunity to develop their potentialities and be given a new lease of life. As a matter of fact, in Singapore there are many entrepreneurs and successful people who did not do well while they were in school. They did not score many "A" stars in their examinations. However, after leaving school, they had been able to spontaneously improve themselves through self-study. If we can identify their potentials earlier, give them encouragement and the right opportunity to develop their potentials, and nurture them so that they could study on their own, I believe they will make greater contributions to our nation, as we face more and more competition in the world.”
“I therefore suggest that apart from the polytechnics and institutes of technical education (ITE), the Ministry of Education could consider setting up more specialised institutions to replace the Normal Course in secondary schools. From what I know, only the Normal 1 (N1) and Normal 2 (N2) classes are worth keeping, because N1 and N2 provide chances for the slow-learners to catch up and hopefully be streamed back to Express 1 or Express 2. As for those in N3, N4 and N5, they have no interest in the academic subjects in the ordinary secondary school. If we allow those in N1 and N2 to be promoted automatically to N3 and then N4, the end result is that these students have no interest in their studies, and can only create trouble and add on more problems for their teachers. However, if we could allow these students who have no interest in academic subjects to take on courses they are interested in, such as arts, dance, music, design, writing, sports, drama, cooking, vehicle repair, interior design and renovation, building science, secretarial or commercial subjects, etc., we will open up room for them to explore and develop their own interest, so that they will apply their thoughts and learn along their respective inclinations. Is this not a good thing to do? Sir, I feel that we could study the German educational system where there is a 3-year apprentice-training course. Students who have completed N1 and N2, but could not make it to the Express stream, may be channeled to some apprentice courses, with a fixed allowance of between $600 and $800 a month. At the same time, they can choose to study subjects which they are interested in. For example, those interested in designing may work in a designer's company and attend courses at a specialized school.”
“I am hopeful that with the restructuring of the school cluster management system, it can work better with the CDCs to tap the community support to raise the quality of education all round. Finally, Sir, now more than ever, in the age of information technology and telecommunications, new relationships and network are established in the virtual world. There is a greater need to inculcate sound moral values in our young. We need to imbibe in our young the virtues of thrift, hard work and compassion for others. These life's principles will guide and prepare them for living in the real world, both in Singapore and beyond. Mr Peh Chin Hua( In Mandarin): Sir, I support the views expressed by my GPC Chairman, Mr Loh Meng See. "Thinking schools and a learning nation" as emphasized by Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong are two long term educational goals which we should strive to attain. However, to attain these two long-term educational goals, I feel, it has a lot to do with the interest to learn. As I mentioned during the debate on the Presidential Address this year, we should break through the traditional set pattern of assessment and curriculum and consider adopting a more flexible, multi-intelligence education system to provide our students more room and liberty to optimize their potentialities and give full play to their talents. We could consider setting our basic traditional teaching method and assessment at a period of 10 years, or allow students in Secondary 2 who are not so academically inclined to be transferred to other schools which offer multi-intelligence curriculum. The crux of the problem is how to enable our students to develop their potential to the fullest, so that they will contribute to our nation building.”
“May I ask the Minister for Education how long it will take before we are ready to implement the changes in the curricula and assessment systems? What subjects are involved? How will the students be examined in the future? Information technology can be used for instruction, information and interaction. Can we know from the Minister how IT will be fully exploited for teaching in schools? Can we not involve the polytechnics and the universities to work closely with the schools to expedite the use of IT in schools? Will more graduates of non-conventional teaching disciplines like computer science and engineering graduates be employed as teachers or facilitators? What is the target date for full implementation of IT in our schools? There have been concerns raised in this House about the increasing incidents of juvenile delinquents and youth violence. These youths are of school going age. I wonder whether the Ministry is giving adequate financial and manpower resources to strengthen pastoral care in schools. We need to have a more structured approach in getting parents to be directly involved with the schools in the discipline and supervision of their children. I hope that the single session schools can provide better pastoral care and supervision of pupils in doing their homework and class assignments, and time allotted to healthy extra curricular activities. With the formation of the Community Development Councils all over Singapore, I hope to see the schools play a more active role in working with the grassroots organisations and the community to improve the standards and performance of neighbourhood schools in the HDB heartlands.”
“It will be for some time and with a great deal of effort and determination before we can bring about this distinctive characteristic trait and identity of a cultured and gracious society. It is generally agreed that in the future, the new source of wealth will be reaped by people who have the intelligence and ability to acquire and apply knowledge that adds value and serves the needs of others. Our schools have the duty to discover what each person's intelligence is, provide help to develop them and ensure that every student leaves with the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies which render them employable. The experience faced by the developed industrial countries in Europe in high unemployment, widening wage gap, slumping standards of living and lacklustre productivity growth are lessons we ought to learn from. We must avoid putting ourselves in that same predicament. Singapore's response is the vision of thinking schools, learning nation, as enunciated by the Prime Minister. The Ministry of Education has to fulfill the important and challenging aspects of thinking schools when educating our young for the future. For a start, the Education Ministry can consider lightening the workload of students when it reviews the curricula and assessment systems. We should allow our young time to grow up as children. The introduction of IT in schools can certainly help our pupils to think creatively and learn independently. To counter the tendency of students working alone in the computer learning environment, we should encourage our students to go outdoors, to participate in sports, recreational and other extra curricular activities. We need to mould the character of our young, impart in them good moral values and develop the inter-personal communication and social skills.”
“Sir, I beg to move, That the total sum to be allocated for Head L of the Main Estimates be reduced by $100. Sir, investment in education takes a long time to bear fruits. In Singapore, the PAP Government has long recognised the value and benefit of educating our young to the fullest potential. Our heavy investment in education over the years has paid handsome dividends. The well-educated and hardworking people have contributed tremendously to Singapore's strong economic growth. Today, we are proud of our academic achievements. We have been able to reduce the school drop-out rate. By international comparisons, our students rank among the top in achievement tests in Science and Mathematics. As many as 97% of our pupils are able to proceed from primary to secondary schools. A much higher percentage of 60%, compared to 50% in 1980, are eligible for the Special and Express streams. Almost 80% of each year's cohort reach the `O' levels. These are remarkable achievements in quantitative terms. However, if we were to speak to employers, the general assessment is that the performance of our school leavers does not reflect the better overall academic results that have been obtained. Our students are generally not fully equipped to meet the demands of the workplace. One general weakness that stands out is the poor communication, social and presentation skills. Our students are generally not analytical and creative enough to think out solutions when confronted with issues and problems. The spoon-feeding with notes and model answers in the classrooms and method of examination have contributed to this shortcoming. We would have thought that with better education, our schools would produce more polished and sophisticated individuals. But this is yet to be.”
“We have achieved much materially with higher standards of living. Our challenge is to develop our people in the qualitative aspects to be more wholesome and enriched with non-material things like the appreciation of aesthetics, culture and the arts. Our social habits and behaviour should reflect that of a developed mature society where people are gracious and care for one another. Our people do not urinate in lifts and they keep the public toilets clean without prompting. We have made tremendous improvements over the years. We can do more and better. As we move ahead, with exemplary leadership our people will emulate the good examples and in time good personal behaviour and social habits will be our way of life. Our people have the qualities to make it to be a cultured and gracious society. I hope that it will happen soon.”
“They all desire to see their children through university. The demand for university education is always high. More so with good teaching and better academic results achieved in our schools. If no university places are found in Singapore, the parents and the students themselves would want to go overseas to study. My fear is that many students may become holders of academic qualifications from many overseas universities that do not mean much to employers. There has been severe deterioration of academic standards in overseas universities operating strictly on a commercial basis. We should therefore increase the number of places to accommodate many more students in our universities without compromising the high standards of our tertiary institutions. The long-term employability of the graduates should be our concern and ensuring that only useful and relevant courses are conducted. We should also allow for some variety to cater to the many different aptitudes and job demands in the employment market. Our institutions must impart skills, knowledge and competence required by employers. The admirable thing about Singapore (most often expressed by foreigners) is our ability and willingness to anticipate change and adopt far-sighted policies to deal with issues that confront us and make a success from what we set out to do. We can only do this when we have a strong, able and stable government which is not distracted by politiking. Our leaders' time will be better spent thinking about national issues, meeting people, both locally and overseas, learning about aspirations and market conditions, communicating the concerns and building up consensus on the direction the country is to take and the useful policies to implement on behalf of the people.”
“I would urge the sceptics to reserve their comments until the materials are written and disseminated. The Education Ministry has indicated that a sum of $2,000 million will be spent to provide computer facilities in our schools. Every child, regardless of family circumstances, will have the benefit of learning with the aid of computers in schools. Information technology will be used for information, instruction and interaction. It is still vague as to how different the classroom would be with the introduction of computers. How ready are our teachers to adopt this new technology? Are the educational materials already available to embark on the new instructional approach in teaching the children? There is concern that it would be a passing fad and not sustainable over a long period of time. The Ministry could throw more light so that parents and the public can have a better understanding of what we are striving at with the use of information technology in schools. A more difficult and challenging task would be in developing creativity in pupils. This would involve modification to the curriculum which is a monumental task and the method of assessment which would pose problems of subjectivity in grading. There is unanimity, however, that critical and creative thinking skills are necessary to prepare our young for the future. An off-shoot of this could possibly be the inter-disciplinary approach in treating different related subjects on an integrative basis. As we teach our young to think better, we have to instill in them the right values so that they will use their grey matter for the common good, otherwise we may unwittingly be producing clever crooks which is certainly not our educational objective. Singaporean parents place high priority in their children's education.”
“Will the single session schools help alleviate the situation or would it make matters worse? I read with concern that our school teachers are at risk of being burned out. Is it a case of closed mind-set in not being receptive to change or are our teachers being inundated with too much workload? Is the quality of teachers such that they could not cope with changes taking place simultaneously even if the overall load remains unchanged but adjustments are needed to disrupt their routine? Is there a serious shortage in the number of teachers? Are more being recruited and retained in service so that the workload could be shared? I am sure the public would be interested to know the real situation in our schools, otherwise they would be alarmed by the morale of teachers having an effect on the children. It is important that the grievances of teachers be listened to and addressed. We do not wish to see our school children suffer because of the problems faced by the teachers. Neither would we want to discourage new candidates entering the teaching profession. We need a competent and well-motivated teaching force to nurture our next generation of Singaporeans so that they can deal confidently with the future challenges. Sir, on the subject of National Education, I am surprised at the doubts cast and the speculation expressed as to how the history of Singapore would be written and taught. How could we dispute facts and events that actually took place? We are duty-bound to be accurate and credible, for how else can we teach our students? There are research standards and methodology that historians follow in writing history. There is no doubt that Singapore's history will be written from the national perspective and it has to be analysed and interpreted as such.”
“As many as 95% of each year's cohort complete their secondary education. This is a laudable achievement as it benefits the greatest number of students. The long-term benefit of a better educated citizenry mandated our high investment in the first 10 years of education. On a per capita basis, we could easily justify spending more money and resources in primary and secondary education. We should strive to reduce the wastage rate further, ideally enabling 100% of each cohort to complete the minimum 10 years schooling. The Government has always committed to educating every child. It is up to the students and the parents to avail themselves of the excellent educational opportunities. The parents have an important role to play in the education of their own children. The students themselves must have the desire and motivation to learn. There will be less disciplinary problems in schools if the students are teachable and want to be taught. The education of our young is a joint effort of parents and teachers. I hope to see the parents playing their active part and not leave it entirely to the schools. Our children will then grow up to be good and useful citizens. I am concerned whether our children are receiving broad-based general education in our schools and proficient enough in language and numeracy skills. Are they enjoying their school life? Will they pick up the habit of life-long learning, or will they be so sick and tired that they would give up their books after leaving school? Are we placing undue pressure on our students with high school workload? Are they given time to take part in sports and extra-curricular activities? Are they developing the interpersonal and social skills to work and live in a community of people?”
“With Government budget surpluses and healthy GST collections, we hope the Finance Minister would reduce the corporate and personal income tax when he announces the next budget. During this period of difficult business climate, a reduction in taxes would add the necessary fillip to economic competitiveness and bring down the cost of doing business in Singapore. There is much that needs to be done and can be done to add depth and make our economy more resilient. The next 10 to 15 years will be the real test and challenge to Singapore. Our ability to compete and stay ahead will determine whether we have the intrinsic qualities to make the grade of achieving the status of a developed economy and a mature, gracious society. In an era of deregulation and information age, education holds the key to our future success. The Government has reiterated its desire to develop our people to the maximum and to raise the quality of education across the board. We have done very well thus far in the education of our young. The Edusave bursary and scholarship schemes have served to encourage students from the lower income families to excel in their studies. Our high quality education has enabled our graduates and school leavers to secure good jobs and high incomes, seizing the abundant opportunities of high economic growth enjoyed domestically and by countries in the region. The question is how can we sustain our economic growth in the years ahead in the face of ever changing and fiercely competitive international business and market environment. Our Government expenditure on education has already more than doubled in 10 years from $1,638 million in 1986 to $3,770 million in 1996. For every $5 of total Government expenditure, $1 is spent on education.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to second the motion standing in the name of Dr Wang Kai Yuen. In the recent general election on 2nd January 1997, Singaporeans had given their overwhelming support and strong endorsement to the PAP. We have 23 new colleagues who have joined us in this Parliament. The leadership renewal process set out by the first generation PAP leaders is in place. Our Parliament continues to have new and younger members who are in sync and representative of the general population. Even former migrants with talent and ability are given the opportunity to represent and serve the people in Parliament. We have a truly democratic political system where money does not feature in the candidate's ability to stand and win in an election. Having won convincingly, the PAP Government has to live up to the expectations of our people and to keep faith with them. The people are assured that the PAP will deliver as promised. The President's Address at the opening of this Parliament did just that. It spelt out the Government's plans and programmes over the next five years. Singapore has enjoyed remarkable economic growth in the last 10 years. If we had not developed the external wing, our economy would not have gone beyond the forecast of 4-6% economic growth only thought possible during the earlier years. Singaporean entrepreneurs and corporations have actively invested and expanded their businesses overseas. In time, we should see our overseas investments bearing fruits, propelling our economy to an even keel and contributing to firmer economic growth. The greatest achievement in fiscal and monetary policy during the last decade was our ability to keep inflation low and cost of living affordable notwithstanding the introduction of GST.”
“When our people have to work so hard to earn a living and to make ends meet, how can they spare the time to bother about being gracious, not to mention building up a gracious society!”
“But the fact remains that between 1990 and 1995, the average selling price of a HDB 4-room flat has risen from $76,000 to $121,000, an increase of 59.3%. The average selling price of a HDB 5-room flat has also risen from $95,000 to $191,000, an increase of 100.7%. This is much more than the margin of increase in salaries, and our people have to carry a heavier burden to service bigger housing loans. The tables on page 108 of the Report show that from 1990 to 1995, the outstanding housing loans of Singaporeans have grown by more than $10 billion. If we have the misfortune to be hit by a recession resulting in massive unemployment, then many people will have difficulties meeting the monthly instalments and may even lose the roof over their heads. This is indeed a worrying thought! Nowadays, when any Government agency wants to increase its tariff charges, it would simply make an announcement in the newspapers and that is all. Generally, the people are in no position to know whether the increases are reasonable or not. I feel that Parliament should set up a standing committee known as the Commodity Prices Monitoring Committee to examine the increase in charges and, if necessary, a public hearing should be conducted requiring the Government agencies to give data to support their increases. Rise in the cost of living is of great concern to the daily lives of the people. The Government now openly admits that the cost of living has indeed risen and is concerned over its implications. This is a good start. However, just by admitting it and showing concern are not enough. The important thing is how to contain the rise in the cost of living to lighten the burden of the people.”
“Let me give you a few illustrations: The Report pointed out that Singaporeans are eating out more often. However, has the Committee really looked into the matter as to why people have to eat out? Do they know that people have to eat out more often because the women-folk are working, and even work overtime to help support the family? They have no time to do their own cooking at home! The Report also pointed out that more and more people are employing domestic help. Do they know that working couples have to employ domestic servants because the Government has been encouraging the women to join the workforce, and there is nobody to look after their children at home? The Report has overlooked the necessity of the people, and put the blame on them, by saying that they are pursuing "comfortable and expensive" lifestyles. This is unduly harsh and unfair comment on the people. The Report stated that it is popular for our people to buy lobsters, abalone, D24 durians, etc. I do not know whether this is really the standard lifestyle of Singaporeans, or just the lifestyle of the hon. members of the Cost Review Committee. The Report also mentioned that expensive cars such as Mercedes and BMWs are the first choice of the people of Singapore. Really, how many percent of our people can actually afford to buy a Mercedes or BMW? Can the Government tell us what is the income level of the people who can afford such expensive cars? On HDB flats, the Committee shares the Government's view that Singaporeans can afford to buy HDB flats, despite the escalation of prices. The Report repeatedly emphasized the point that the Government has given the assurance that if the people's income level goes down, the prices of HDB flats would also go down.”
“But there are people who are trying to weaken our spirit to work harder and to succeed in the future, by saying that we are having difficulties. That is why the SDP is saying that prices have gone up "no less than phenomenal", to use their own words. In my own interpretation, since the coup d'etat in SDP by Chee Soon Juan, what has happened is that the number of accusations, lies and confusing figures from the SDP has gone up enormously, and they are no less than phenomenal. And this is happening again in the case of the cost of living issue. I think this is not only a wild accusation but it is a bad accusation. This is very sad because they have ridiculed such a major and serious issue. They have played around with it in view of the impending elections. I am happy that the CRC Report has not only proven that we are enjoying a better life than before but has also given recommendations on certain areas where we still need to give attention, especially for those who are in the lower-income group. The Government should give attention to these problems, if any, so that, wherever possible, we could render assistance. Sir, I support the motion by Mr Loh Meng See. Mr Low Thia Khiang( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the Cost Review Committee Report stated that between 1988 and 1993, the prices of commodities taken to compute the Consumer Price Index increased by only 14%. But the fact remains that the average household spending had increased by 76% during the same period of time. The Report concluded that the increase in household expenditure was due to the people's choice for a "cosier-but-costlier" lifestyle. In other words, people have themselves to blame for the increase, and that it has nothing to do with the social environment and development trend.”
“The age where 3-room HDB flats are in the majority in Singapore has passed. Today, most Singaporeans buy 4-room, 5-room or Executive flats. In 1991, 7,700 units of 4-room flats were sold to Singaporeans. They were sold to those who already owned 3-room flats and wanted to upgrade to bigger flats, or to newly married couples. By 1995, the number of 4-room flats sold by HDB was 12,000 units, almost double. In 1991, the number of 5-room flats sold was 2,700 units. In 1995, 11,100 units were sold, almost a 500% increase. And for Executive flats, in 1991, 2,000 units were sold. In 1995, 3,500 flats were sold. Lately, it was reported that Singaporeans are busy buying Executive Condominiums. They are not compelled to do so. It is their choice. They want more comfortable homes. They can afford and they are willing to spend more. Does this mean that Singaporeans are facing more difficulties in paying for these more expensive HDB flats? From CPF figures, about 87%, almost 90%, of Singaporeans generally pay their monthly instalments on home loans completely by using CPF savings. Their income has gone up 63%. Their contribution still remains at 20% from each side. And even though the cost of houses has gone up, 90% are still paying their instalments from CPF without having to use their take-home pay or cash to pay for their house. In other words, what is happening is that the CRC Report has gone a long way to show that we are enjoying a more comfortable and better life, better than what we have ever enjoyed before. I think Singaporeans have never enjoyed as good a life as we are enjoying now. We, as a country, moving as a team, should work towards better standards so that what we are enjoying today will be even better in the future.”
“I have, when meeting my constituents, seen not one, not two, but some families, because of the parents' interests in education, have a computer for each one of them. So there is one PC for the boy, one PC for the girl, one PC for the father and another PC for the mother. The whole family has a computer for each one of them. Mr Speaker, in 1988, 26,800 families in Singapore had maids. In 1993, the number has gone up to 70,000 families. Last year I think it must have gone up to 90,000. As a result, Singaporeans' expenditure on maid's service has gone up by 200%. This shows that because we can afford it and we want to enjoy the comforts of life, we want somebody else to do the household chores like washing dishes, clothes and so on. It is the same thing with food, Mr Speaker. With food, we find that expenditure on eating out in fast-food restaurants has all gone up. Before, Singaporeans used to go to the market, chose the fish, vegetables and so on. They would bring them home, clean them up, and cook them for the whole family. Today, we have maids and we are spending less time at the market. We have money. We go to the coffeeshops, food courts and so on, and that is our enjoyment. We can do so only because we can afford it and this is because of a better economy, higher value of the Singapore dollar and stability in the country, so much so that even after midnight we find a lot of people going out to dine. All over Singapore, we find 24-hour food centres. Singaporeans do not stop eating. Mr Speaker, last year, if I am not mistaken, for the first time, the number of 4-room HDB flats was far greater than the 3-room flats. Previously, Singaporeans could only afford 3-room HDB flats, but by last year, this was not so.”
“Although the cost of handphones has gone down by more than half compared to 1988 and because more Singaporeans can afford to buy these handphones, our expenditure on telephone equipment, handphones and pagers has gone up by 880%. This has happened even though the price of handphones has decreased. In 1988, 156,500 persons had pagers. By 1993, more than 524,800 people were using pagers. It is an increase of 235%. I do not know what is the figure today, maybe much higher. If you just compare 525,000 pagers and if one person represents one family of four or five persons, perhaps every family in Singapore has one person carrying a pager. In other words, all Singaporeans are connected to one another with pagers. That is the figure for 1993, Mr Speaker. Today, I am sure the figure is even higher and is increasing. Pagers here are cheaper. People are buying new pagers, perhaps even more beautiful and nicer ones which can send messages, greetings, and so on. Some pagers can be used to convey expressions of love to their girl friends. I also find, Mr Speaker, that the expenditure for computers at home between 1988 and 1992 had gone up by 573%. This is much higher than the 76% that was mentioned by SDP and PKMS. But if you look at the figures, I think we should find out what actually is happening. Have computer prices gone up by 500%? No. What has happened is that within the same period, computer prices had gone down by 29%. Since computer prices had gone down it means we should be spending less than before on computers. But the expenditure on home computers has gone up by almost 600%. In 1988, only 11% of homes here could afford computers. By 1992, 20% of Singapore families could afford to buy computers and more people are buying computers.”
“In 1992-93, up to 35% of Singapore homes had airconditioning compared with less than 20% in 1988. The use of washing machines went up from 74% in 1988 to 81% by 1992-93. In 1993-95, up to 30% owned more than one television set. In other words, we used to share one television set, but today the parents can watch their own programmes while the children can have another television set and they switched on both television sets at the same time because of different interests. This is because families have higher incomes and they can afford more than one television set. They can afford to enjoy more programmes and use more electricity. I also find that the expenditure on radios, television sets and musical instruments went up by 298% whereas the prices of these items have gone down. But perhaps because the prices have gone down, more people are buying television sets, radios, including karaoke sets too. This partly explains how we are enjoying better lives with quality goods. Another example is that in NTUC Fairprice, for instance, we find that they are selling up to 91% of fragrant rice. Whereas when you compare 10 or 15 years ago, only about 60% fragrant rice was sold in NTUC Fairprice shops. People who used to buy sardines are today buying tuna. In other words, sale of tuna has gone up by 187%, whereas sale of sardines, which we used to buy regularly before, went up by only 22%. Mr Speaker, what has happened is that the choice made by Singaporeans to enjoy a better and comfortable life has become a habit. As a result, between 1988 and 1993, we find that the number of people who used handphones had seen an enormous increase. In 1993, the number had gone up to 162,500.”