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| July 2, 2008 | |
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S'pore kids better off now than in 2002: MCYS report
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| Improvements seen in schooling, health and crime rates; but STD, abuse cases up | |
| By Theresa Tan & Tan Weizhen | |
| SINGAPORE has made significant strides in providing the best possible environment for children here, in areas ranging from education to health to protecting them from abuse.
Even in 'softer' areas such as care for disabled children, the country has made significant progress over the last few years, said the draft of a report to be submitted to the United Nations (UN) later this month. But although the 112-page report, compiled by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, painted a glowing overall picture of the state of care for children, it also threw up some problem areas that bear watching. Among these: a sharp rise in the number of teens contracting sexually transmitted diseases and a rising adolescent suicide rate. Once finalised, the report will be submitted as part of Singapore's responsibilities under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the Republic signed in 1995. The convention is a comprehensive charter on children's rights, which sets out the minimum standards that governments should meet in the provision of health care, education and legal and social services. The new report highlighted the many changes made since the last one was submitted in 2002. It also detailed some steps that will be made farther down the road. The moves already taken and highlighted in the report included making at least six years of education compulsory for children and the enactment of new laws to protect youth against sex predators. Other key successes:
The report also highlighted several initiatives introduced to enhance Singapore's family-friendly environment, such as promoting flexi-work arrangements for parents. And if it all goes wrong and the parents get divorced, children's rights are protected. For instance, the law can require a parent who has not provided reasonable maintenance to cough up the money. However, it is not all serious business. The report pointed out that among the Government's priorities when it comes to children was providing leisure, play and participation opportunities in culture and the arts. It did this within the school curriculum and through arts programmes spearheaded by the National Arts Council. To be sure, the report does throw up troubling numbers. Child abuse is one area of concern. The number of cases investigated in which evidence of abuse was found jumped from 58 cases in 2006 to 96 last year. In the last five years, there was an average of 90 such cases a year. More teens are also contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). In 2003, 368 young people aged between 10 and 19 were infected. The number more than doubled to 820 last year. Dr Tan Hiok Hee, head of the Department of Sexually Transmitted Infections Control clinic, said that the rising numbers 'definitely reflect the increasing sexual activity among young people'. Dr Tan told The Straits Times: 'But it could also be that sexuality education in schools is getting through to students and teens are more aware that they need to get screened if they feel something is wrong.' The adolescent suicide rate has been creeping up too. Last year, 4.6 in every 100,000 children aged between 15 and 19 killed themselves, up from 2.7 in 2004. Speaking to The Straits Times, psychiatrist Brian Yeo said that although the number was low compared to other countries, what was worrying was that his young patients attempted suicide 'impulsively, for trivial reasons such as being scolded by their parents or teachers'. However, steps have been taken to address the problem, such as the formation of a national work group on children's mental health in 2006. | |
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