PAP gov collects from us so much moneyÂ…
1) HDB flat- PAP pockets ‘land costs’- at least $150K/ HDB flat?
- 2.5—Comparison between the "cost-based" and HDB" market subsidy" flat pricing approach - Open Letter to PM Lee: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Sg_Review/message/2242
2) COE, TV tax, TOTO, SG sweep, GST, ERP, Toilet tax, License fees etc.
3) Takes our 2.5 yrs labor in NS.
4) Pays itÂ’s own ministers better then 1st world ministers.
ShouldnÂ’t we expect:
I suggest
1. PAP provide salaried education (to those who pass) to upgrade the poorly educated to function in growing industries.
2. Better subsidies in cost of living to make us happier and ‘reproductive’?
- SGporean has he worldÂ’s 3rd lowest birth rate (223/ 226 countries) @ 1.05 /woman lifetime (2005est.) (http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/rankorder/2127rank.html),
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/206279/1/.html
Education is the best social leveller for Singaporeans: Tharman- 03 May 2006 1552 hrs (SST)
Education Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said having a good education system in Singapore is the best social leveller for the society.
Speaking at a lunchtime rally at Raffles Place on Wednesday, he said the system has enabled children from less well-off families to succeed in life.
Mr Tharman says an example of how Singaporeans have done well in life is how 50 percent of students who lived in 1- to 3-room flats, had gone on to tertiary education some 10 years ago.
Today, 80 percent of them do so.
For such opportunities to continue, Mr Tharman highlighted three focus areas, such as having good teachers available in all schools.
He said: "We help you catch up, we help you find your abilities and we help you go as far as possible and that's why throughout the system, we've been providing, not just streams, we're providing bridges between streams, we're providing second chances."
"We're providing opportunities for normal course students to do subjects that are more advanced level. Normal technical students doing normal academic subjects. Some normal technical students even moving into the normal academic stream and then doing express subjects. So a lot of flexibility, a lot of bridges throughout the system."
Mr Tharman says opposition leader Chiam See Tong objects to streaming in schools but the Education Minister says that will lead to many drop-outs, as seen in the United States. - CNA/ch