I AM a father of three lovely children. I have done my fair share of fatherly duties, such as changing diapers, late-night milk feedings, taking care of them when they fall ill, taking them to the pool and preparing them for school.

In fact, I consider this my sole responsibility after the 27 months my wife went through carrying our kids. I have no regrets and would not have had it any other way.

Did we have three kids because of the Baby Bonus Scheme? Absolutely not! Did we benefit from it? Absolutely!

I have always believed that you can give your kids a decent upbringing without spending a bomb on enrichment classes.

However, what really takes the joy out of having kids is not the period when they attend nursery and kindergarten, but the stress they encounter when attending primary school.

I hope the authorities can understand and appreciate the stress that kids and parents go through in trying to understand the primary-school curriculum.

I spoke to an acquaintance whose children are in international Indian schools, and he was shocked at the standard of the examination questions set for our primary pupils.

The difficulty level of the exams goes beyond what is required of 10- to 12-year-olds.

Unlike many Singaporean pupils, those in international Indian schools do not need tuition. The teachers are able to complete the syllabus without additional help. Do they fare badly? I do not think so. Are they less successful? I think not.

I realise that if what we pay for our kids' education takes into account the amount we spend on their tuition classes, it would come up to the same as the fees charged by international schools – except that in the latter, our children would have a more well-rounded education, and we would have more time to spend with them during their formative years.

Hence, instead of throwing out cash incentives, the authorities might want to think out of the box and approach the issue of low birth rates from a different angle. They might be surprised.

Mr Damien Lee

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