By: Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State for Community Development, Youth and Sports
At 9 am, Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre
Mr Ong Keng Yong,
Ambassador-at-Large and Director, Institute of Policy Studies
Mr Chew Hock Yong,
Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports and Chairman of the Inter-Ministry Committee on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (or IMC on UNCRC for short),
Ms Ang Bee Lian
Chief Executive Officer, National Council of Social Service
Professor Ho Lai Yun
Vice- Chairman, Singapore Children's Society
Members of the IMC on UNCRC,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to be with you this morning at the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child consultation forum to discuss the draft Periodic Report on Singapore's implementation of our commitments under the convention.
I understand that we have, in our midst today, more than 250 participants including teachers, social service professionals, policy makers and volunteers working with children, some of whom were present at our consultation forum for the Initial Report in 2002. I want to especially acknowledge the presence of children and youth delegates in our midst who carry the responsibility of representing their peers at this forum. That you have all made the time to be with us this morning is indeed a clear reflection of our collective interest and commitment to promoting and protecting the rights of our children.
We are especially honoured to have with us today Mr Ong Keng Yong, Ambassador at Large and Director of the Institute of Policy Studies, who has kindly agreed to moderate today's session. I am confident that you will have a most engaging discussion under his professional facilitation.
Objectives
Today's session provides a platform to discuss the issues outlined in Singapore's draft 2nd and 3rd Periodic Report, which tracks Singapore's implementation of the convention for the period 2003 - 2007. The report also captures Singapore's responses to the Concluding Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child issued in 2003.
In a short while, MCYS, which is the secretariat for the IMC on UNCRC, will brief on key updates as well as explanations behind some of our positions, as articulated in the report. I encourage you to take the opportunity to clarify any concerns you may have about the convention and Singapore's implementation of it with members of the IMC on UNCRC thereafter.
Making Singapore a great place for children and families
Singapore's accession to the UN CRC in 1995 and ongoing efforts in meeting the needs of children underscore our commitment to make Singapore a great place for children and families - a Singapore that allows all children to feel a sense of belonging, to play an active role in society, to be protected from harm and to fulfill their potential.
State of Singapore's Children
As at June 2007, almost 20% of Singapore's total resident population was under 15 years of age and 25% under 19 years of age.
The state of Singapore's children is good. Let me share some indicators to illustrate my point. Our educational standards are high. Our students continue to do well at international meetings. Last year, 97% of children of primary school going age were enrolled in schools and for secondary school going age, the percentage enrolled in schools was equally high - at 95%. Our school drop out rate has steadily decreased over the years. Last year, about 1.6 percent of the school-going cohort dropped out of school, compared to 3.2 percent in 2003.
In the area of health, our infant mortality rate remains one of the lowest in the world - at 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2007.
Our juvenile crime rates also remain low. The number of juveniles arrested for Overall Crime has continued to fall in the last four years - from 2,637 in 2004 to 1,968 in 2007.
Our children continue to be protected from exploitation through strong legislation. They also mix freely and have ample opportunity to participate in leisure, culture and the arts.
Progress of children in Singapore
Our children have, no doubt, benefited from the key areas of development that feature in the draft report. Let me briefly mention some of these:
Legal Enhancements
In the area of legislative enhancements, the Compulsory Education Act was introduced in 2003 to provide for six years of education for our children. Amendments to the Employment Act in 2004 have also provided children with greater protections against exploitation at work.
Key changes, in October last year, to the Penal Code have enhanced the protection of young persons against exploitation for commercial sex in Singapore and overseas. You may also be aware that MCYS is currently leading in a review of the Children and Young Persons Act.
Recent initiatives by the Courts to establish a specialised Children Care Court to oversee care and protection proceedings and a CHILD (or Children's Best Interests, Less Adversarial) programme for the resolution of custody disputes in a child-centred manner have further strengthened the legal system in providing for the welfare and protection of our children.
Initiatives to promote Education and Culture
In the area of education, ''Teach Less, Learn More'' initiatives, which emphasise classroom interaction, expression, life-long skills development and character building through innovative and effective teaching, provide for greater customisation for the child learner. These complement initiatives to promote diverse education through a wider range of curricula and alternative schools, such as the Singapore Sports School, School of the Arts and NorthLight School.
Singapore's children have also gained from extensive exposure to culture and the arts through events such as the Singapore Youth Festival and Noise Singapore. These inculcate in children a greater appreciation for diverse platforms for expression.
Greater support for families
We recognise that some children may require more assistance than others. A range of programmes exist under the ComCare umbrella to provide for the developmental needs of such children. For children from low-income families attending kindergarten, the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme, or KiFas continues to subsidise up to 90% of monthly fees, or up to $82 per month.
For children from low-income families attending child care, the Centre-based Financial Assistance Scheme, or CFAC, provides an additional subsidy over and above the universal childcare subsidy provided by the Government. As of today, the subsidy rates have increased from $140 to $320 monthly to $150 to $340. The monthly subsidy is in addition to the one-off start-up grant of up to $1,000 to cover start-up expenses such as registration fees, uniforms and insurance for these children.
Partnerships in policy and planning and delivery
Key to Singapore's success in furthering children's rights in Singapore is a strong public, people and private sector commitment to create an enabling environment for children to grow and flourish as individuals.
Today's event, which is jointly organised by MCYS, the National Council of Social Service and the Singapore Children's Society, is a clear example of Singapore's distinctive formula of collective responsibility in the best interests of our children which has served us well and which, no doubt, will continue to be a key ingredient in our future work with and for children.
This collaborative model is also evidenced in the work of the Inter-Ministry Committee on Dysfunctional Families, comprising policy makers, social services professionals, academics and other relevant stakeholders. This Inter-Ministry Committee was set up in end 2007 to review and enhance help for dysfunctional families with children. The committee is scheduled to conclude its work in the next 2 months.
The Road Ahead
I am sure that today's discussions alone will offer us new ideas to allow our children to dream and to aspire, to be the best that they can be. Let us be open to them, mindful of our ultimate goal for our children - that is to grow up happy, and to enjoy their childhood.
Conclusion
It leaves me, then, to thank all of you for your presence today and especially to our friends from NCSS and the Singapore Children's Society for their work in making this forum possible. I look forward to your continued support and partnership in making Singapore a great place for our children.
Thank you.
MCYS SPEECH NO: 36/2008
DATE OF ISSUE: 02/07/2008