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“Achievement-orientated Values” (Part 2 of 2): How this 1971 speech suggests solutions to fertility rates today

“Achievement-orientated Values” (Part 1 of 2): This 1971 speech explains why our fertility rates are so low (and hints at how we can raise it) 

Achievement-oriented Values in 1971 speech
Singapore’s total fertility rate hit a new record low at 0.87 in 2025, a long consequence of the overwhelming success of the “Stop at Two” population control campaign launched in 1972. Just a year prior, Parliamentary Secretary Inche Sha’ari Bin Tadin gave a speech capturing the heart and motivation of the campaign. Could this speech also contain hints of how we can reverse our low birth rates?

Stay-At-Home Mothers are Becoming Rarer: Gain or Loss? 

Illustrated stay-at-home mom and working mom

Sandwiched Families: A Cultivate Commune (May) update

With delayed marriages and parenthood, low fertility rates and a rapidly ageing population, the number of sandwiched couples who have to care for both young and old is projected to increase. At our Commune on 16 May, we had a candid and uplifting discussion with two speakers in these circumstances, who left us with much encouragement and food for thought.

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Cultivate Commune: Success and Flourishing in Singapore

Cultivate Commune is a breakfast conversation where we explore how big ideas are planted in real community experiences. In this fourth Commune on 31 August 2024, we heard from Associate Professor (Dr) Tan Seow Hon. Joined by two panellists Su Ching and Sin Cheng, they spoke on the topic of success and flourishing in Singapore.
Singapore Dream Flourishing Cultivate Success

“Singapore Dream” Redux: Material Success, Flourishing or…?

For the longest time, the “Singapore Dream” has been about achieving material success through hard work, but attitudes are changing. In this “refreshed Singapore Dream”, is there room to focus more on human flourishing?
Lawrence Wong Singapore Prime Minister at National Day Rally

NDR 2024 – Upcoming Parental Leave Enhancements: Are They Enough?

A survey commissioned by Cultivate SG and conducted by Milieu Insight suggests that societal attitudes on parenthood and work commitments may pose a challenge to take-up rates in the increases to paternity leave and shared parental leave.

What we are reading

Articles here are for perspective and may not represent our views