Tag: singapore

Young people today never had it so good. Is this true of Singapore?

There is a widely held view that Singapore’s youth has grown up in sheltered, comfortable environments and enjoy high standards of living – a far cry from the struggles and hardship that the older generations had to overcome.

The young never had it so good. There is a widely held view that Singapore’s youth has grown up in sheltered, comfortable environments and enjoy high standards of living – a far cry from the struggles and hardship that the older generations had to overcome. While this view is not an unreasonable one, we must also consider the fact that youths today face challenges in a world that is becoming increasingly uncertain. The prevailing set of challenges in the political, economic and social domains may be radically different from those in the past, but they are no less daunting and pernicious. It would be superfluous to agree that young people in Singapore lead easier lives than ever before.

Proponents of the view that young people have never had it so good until today point to the abundant education opportunities made available to youths today. It is undoubtedly true that compared to past generations, youth enjoy far greater access to learning in today’s day and age. In Singapore’s context, the government has gradually introduced a greater number of education bursaries and scholarships offered to students from less-privileged backgrounds to ensure that the education system remains a meritocratic one that rewards those who work hard, while not denying access to those who may not afford education. This is a vast improvement from the past where it was not uncommon for young people to skip school because of the need to stay at home to look after their siblings or to work in order to contribute to the monthly household income. In recent years, the government has created diverse education routes and pathways. The musically or artistically inclined can now choose to pursue their secondary education in the School of the Arts (SOTA), while budding athletes can opt to enrol in the Singapore Sports School.   In this sense, today’s education landscape in Singapore has made life for young people much more accessible and empowering. If strictly measured by this yardstick, then we can say that young people never had it so good.

Apart from better education opportunities, young people in Singapore today enjoy higher standards of living compared to the generations that came before them. Rapid urbanisation and modernisation in the last few decades have witnessed attap-roof houses and family farms being replaced with high-rise flats, high-technology buildings and manicured streets lined with trees that are regularly pruned to prevent overgrowth. While communal public toilets, non-air-conditioned buses and potholes on muddy roads form a bulk of the memories of many older generations in Singapore, many Singaporean youth today cannot imagine sleeping without air-conditioning or deprived of the many creature comforts they have now. Many, as such, view the young people today as a mollycoddled bunch who are unable to survive physical hardship and discomfort. In addition to increased standards of living, the increase in spending on luxury and branded items amongst the young in Singapore today lead many to regard this as evidence that youth today have a much easier life as compared to before.

However, when one takes into account the circumstances and the new set of challenges that our young people have to face, the perspective that young people never had it so good before appears one-dimensional. In the economic sphere, the vicissitudes of what has been termed the ‘roller-coaster global economy’ has led to much fear and anxiety over jobs, inflation and economic uncertainty. The oldest millennials born in 1981 would have entered the workforce at a time when the global economy was suffering from an unprecedented collapse of the financial sector, and research by the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis go as far as to suggest that these millennials might be unable to accumulate sufficient wealth for retirement. Younger millennials born in the 1990s and 2000s have to contend with economic uncertainties like the US-China trade war, the implications of climate change on supply chains, and rapid unprecedented rates of technological disruption to traditional industries. This is a vast contrast to the situation in Singapore’s early days of economic development in the 1960s and 1970s which saw the creation of large numbers of jobs in the rapidly growing manufacturing industry, and strong and sustained economic growth rates. Young people in Singapore today thus face greater pressure to remain competitive and employable, contrary to the perception that they lead smooth-sailing lives with their whole lives charted out for them. From an economic perspective, young people today never had it so good.

Additionally, while young people today are generally more educated than past generations, the overall increase in education standards means that there are greater expectations to do well academically and it is even more difficult for one to stand out amongst a sea of university students, especially when 4 in 10 Singaporean youth will eventually be degree holders. Moreover, the influx of foreign talents in recent years has raised the bar for many graduates, making it more competitive in getting jobs. As a result, young people, despite being given more education opportunities, now face greater difficulty in getting their desired jobs, and often have to make do with jobs that do not match their qualifications or aspirations. A recent research study conducted by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Ong Teng Cheong Labour Leadership Institute suggest a pernicious, worrying underbelly of underemployed millennial graduates, some of whom are earning less than $2,000 a month from their full-time jobs despite their education qualifications. This suggests that young people in Singapore may not necessarily be better off compared to past generations when we take into consideration the increasingly competitive and uncertain job landscape in which they have to survive and thrive in today.

In our world which is increasingly fraught with fear, insecurity and uncertainty, the young are living in a Singapore that is beset with novel challenges that previous generations did not have to grapple with. As the famous historian R G Collingwood once said, “every new generation must rewrite history in its own way”. In this light, when assessing this or any generation, both the positive and the challenging aspects must be taken into account. Therefore, notwithstanding the better education or job opportunities available to this generation, it would be inaccurate to say that the young in Singapore never had it good if we understand also the myriad issues surrounding today’s generation.

How well are the demands of the economy and the environment balanced in Singapore?

Singapore has gained a reputation for itself on an international platform as a country that is strong both diplomatically and economically. Some quarters believe that the economic benefits have come about by compromising on the environment. Under the great leadership of the incumbent government, Singapore has over the last five decades ensured a balance between the environment and economy.

Singapore has gained a reputation for itself on an international platform as a country that is strong both diplomatically and economically. Some quarters believe that the economic benefits have come about by compromising on the environment. Under the great leadership of the incumbent government, Singapore has over the last five decades ensured a balance between the environment and economy.

To boost the country’s economy, Singapore has invested significantly in infrastructure required for global markets. Singapore does not produce crude oil, however, it is known as a major hub for oil refining and trading. Oil refining and processing has a direct and immediate effect on the environment. Southern islands have been cleared of native populations and combined to create large petrochemical refineries and storage facilities. High levels of carbon emissions are a natural consequence of this activity which ultimately leads to climate change.

While the above has impacted the economy, the petrochemical industry has created thousands of jobs not just in the field itself, but also in complimentry industries like construction. The government has balanced the pollution generated in building the economy by investing in greenery. Thousands of trees and bushes have been planted around the small island. Even today one can see exotic trees and flowering bushes across the country and justifies its name as the Garden City. With no natural resources, the economic plan of the government has allowed for economic groth despite costs to the environment. The government has tried to mend this issue by regular tree planting to off-set carbon emissions.

In recent times the government has taken conscious efforts to build policies that protect the environment. Singapore has created a well-connected public transport system ensures that people commute using these transportation systems travel in comfort and reduce carbon emissions. The government has created cycling paths for the convenience of cyclists. In building new homes, Singapore government insists on having plant life in the form of green roofs, vertical gardens or even walls made it lush green grass and plants. Thus, while the country has made significant economic progress, it has not forgotten the importance of environment and is trying to strike a balance. The economy and the environment is well balanced in Singapore.

Singapore is extremely resourceful in finding balance between environment and economic growth. Growing concerns about climate change and global warming has prompted Singapore to continuously drive in the right direction of protecting the environment. A notable example of this can be an important tourist attraction, Gardens by the Bay, which has an innovative design and is considered a masterpiece in eco-friendliness. Recently, there also have been developments that the gardens will adopt a technology which can convert garbage into energy which can enhance plant growth.  Similarly, many public parks in the country contribute significantly to the environmental health and also boost the economy. Unlike cities like Shanghai, Saigon and Santiago, Singapore is not plagued by the issue of air pollution. Singapore has good quality air and a high-quality life which make it clear that Singapore does have great balance between environment and economy.

Not only locally, Singapore has addressed the issues concerning environment on an international level as well. For example, during the forest fires in Indonesia, the National Environment Agency, helped to detect fire in 450 hotspots in three provinces in Indonesia. Singapore also offered fire-fighting assistance to Indonesia. This shows that Singapore as a country is not only addressing environmental issues on a national level but also on a global level. Apart from that, Singapore is also a signatory to the Paris document which asks for carbon and green house gas emission cuts. This again illustrates that Singapore, takes environment seriously and tries to strike a balance between economic needs and environmental needs.

There is no doubt that Singapore takes environmental concerns seriously. The country makes conscious efforts to mitigate the damage caused by economic endeavours. Though Singapore is not perfect in many aspects regarding environment, the country takes significant steps to become eco-friendly. This is evident from the fact that its carbon emissions are lesser than of the other developed nations.