SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT UNIT

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for Finance and Minister for Trade and Industry what are the functions and responsibilities of the Social Development Unit and what is the amount of money that has been expended on the work of the Unit since it was set up.

Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam: The 1980 census highlighted the fact that an alarmingly large number of better educated ladies remain unmarried. The factors contributing to this trend are:-

(i) The cultural attitude amongst the local men who prefer to marry women with educationally lower qualification.

(ii) The preference amongst the tertiary educated women to marry men who are better educated or at least of the same educational level.

The Government's policy on equal educational opportunities for both male and female has unwittingly brought about the high incidence of singlehood amongst our graduate women. As a responsible Government, it has to try to correct this trend. The Social Development Unit was formed in January 1984 mainly to act as a catalyst, to start public thinking and discussion on the subject and to provide opportunities for single men and women to interact socially.

Three training workshops and eight computer courses have been run and expenditure to date is about $200,000. Thus far, 700 persons have benefitted from the activities organised by the Social Development Unit.