I refer to Mr Ivan Goh's letter, "Help men upgrade education level to reduce number of singles" (July 3).

He explored the idea of upgrading the education level of men to at least a diploma to compensate for their time spent serving the nation, in an attempt to reduce the number of single men.

The assumption that women tend to want to marry men with the same or higher educational qualifications stems from outdated ideas.

Different education levels is not the main reason why Singaporeans choose to be single, as there are many other pertinent factors that we should consider and address instead. Some factors include Singapore's high cost of living and a change in mindsets.

There has been a change in how the younger generation views marriage.

In the past, women were mainly housewives and men were the sole breadwinners, hence the expectation for men to be highly educated.

However, times have changed and women are more financially independent and may wish to achieve their personal financial goals before settling down.

This shift towards financial independence in women requires men to change their expectations in a potential spouse, such as not having to worry about or prioritise being able to provide for her.

Raising marriage rates is a complex issue that cannot be easily overcome by helping men upgrade their education level.

Instead, singles should work on overall self-improvement and their personalities in order to form deeper connections with people of marriage material.

Jessica Chan