articles catalogue

“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.

More For You

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.
Overprotective Parenting

 How “Helicopter Parenting” Harms Children, and the Culture 

Helicopter parenting cause harm to children in the long-term. It hinders development of essential life skills and resilience in children, and also make things difficult for others when they unfairly criticise, harass or even sue those they disagree with. We need a reasonable balance between protecting children and allowing them to take risk.
eyes on the price text

Eyes on the Price: A Cultivate Commune (March) update 

The more people prize parenthood, the less deterred they are by its perceived price. The reverse is also true. These were the findings from our “Eyes on the Price” supplementary analysis released at our Commune on 28 March. With our society becoming more atomised and narratives thinking of children as a burden, can we refocus our values and priorities as a society?

What we are reading

Articles here are for perspective and may not represent our views