Next phase of marriage and parenthood recommendations to cover work-life balance, education stress: Indranee

Families need supportive environments, and government, employers, businesses and community organisations all have a part to play, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Indranee Rajah.

A family at the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade in Singapore. (File photo: iStock)

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SINGAPORE: The workgroup on marriage and parenthood will look at work-life balance and education stress in its next phase of recommendations, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Indranee Rajah on Friday (Oct 23).

Speaking at a DBS Foundation event at the Institute of Technical Education College Central, Ms Indranee, who chairs the workgroup, said its work will also cover more progressive workplace practices, fertility and maternal health, among other areas.

This comes after Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced enhanced childcare leave, more affordable childcare and more financial support for parents at this year’s National Day Rally.

In an interview after the rally, Ms Indranee, who is in the PMO's National Population and Talent Division, acknowledged that changing workplace attitudes is the harder challenge in supporting parenthood.

On Friday, she said rising life expectancies and an uncertain world with multiple responsibilities make care and support more important.

“Families are often the first line of support. They provide stability, encouragement and care through life’s ups and downs,” she said.

“But families themselves also need supportive environments. Government, employers, businesses, community organisations and individuals all have a part to play in creating a wider circle of support, so that families can thrive at every stage of life,” said Ms Indranee, who is also second minister for finance and national development.

The event's theme was The Future of Us: Building Better Lives Across Generations. Ms Indranee also spoke about the importance of connection and capability in Singapore’s super-aged society that has a low fertility rate.

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CONNECTIONS, CAPABILITY

“People need strong connections and a sense of belonging, so that they have relationships and communities they can rely on,” she said.

Relationships and communities matter more as the world changes rapidly, she said. Technology may change how people work and interact, but people continue to need to trust and rely on others.

“Strong relationships are also the foundation on which marriages, families, and resilient communities are built,” she said.

Ms Indranee added that opportunities for people to meet, connect and develop a sense of belonging should be created intentionally, through well-designed and inclusive spaces that encourage participation in community life. She cited as an example the SG Youth Plan’s recognition of “third spaces” beyond home and school.

On capability, Ms Indranee said learning can no longer end with formal education as people live longer.

“Learning, adapting and contributing will increasingly be lifelong pursuits,” she said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Indranee Rajah speaking at a DBS Foundation event on Oct 23, 2026. (Photo: CNA)

She pointed to the SkillsFuture AI Subscription that gives Singaporeans a complimentary six-month subscription to experiment with artificial intelligence tools.

Singapore is also progressively raising the retirement and re-employment ages and taking steps to support senior employment by promoting fractional employment and flexible work arrangements as some older Singaporeans want to continue working and contributing.

“Ultimately, capability is about giving Singaporeans the confidence, skills and opportunities to continue learning, adapting and contributing throughout their lives,” she said.

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总理公署部长英兰妮·拉贾表示，家庭需要支持性的环境，政府、雇主、企业和社区组织都应发挥作用。

新加坡滨海湾海滨长廊上的一家人。（图片来源：iStock）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：总理公署部长英兰妮·拉贾周五（10月23日）表示，婚姻与育儿工作组将在下一阶段的建议中关注工作与生活的平衡以及教育压力。

在中央技术教育学院举办的星展基金会活动上，工作组主席英德拉妮女士表示，工作组的工作还将涵盖更进步的工作场所实践、生育和孕产妇健康等领域。

此前，总理黄循财在今年的国庆群众大会上宣布延长育儿假、降低托儿费用并为父母提供更多财政支持。

在集会后的一次采访中，总理办公室国家人口与人才司的英德拉妮女士承认，改变职场态度是支持为人父母面临的更大挑战。

周五，她表示，预期寿命的延长和充满不确定性的世界以及多重责任使得关爱和支持变得更加重要。

“家庭往往是第一道防线。在人生的起起落落中，他们提供稳定、鼓励和关爱，”她说。

“但家庭本身也需要支持性的环境。政府、雇主、企业、社区组织和个人都应发挥作用，创造更广泛的支持圈，使家庭能够在人生的每个阶段蓬勃发展，”兼任财政和国家发展部第二部长的英德拉妮女士说道。

此次活动的主题是“我们的未来：构建代际更美好生活”。英德拉妮女士还谈到了在新加坡这个超老龄化、低生育率的社会中，人际关系和能力的重要性。

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连接、能力

“人们需要牢固的人际关系和归属感，这样他们才能拥有可以依靠的人际关系和社区，”她说。

她表示，随着世界快速变化，人际关系和社群的重要性日益凸显。科技或许会改变人们的工作和互动方式，但人们仍然需要信任和依赖他人。

“牢固的人际关系也是婚姻、家庭和具有韧性的社区赖以建立的基础，”她说。

英德拉妮女士补充说，应该有意识地创造机会，让人们相聚、交流并建立归属感，通过精心设计且包容的空间，鼓励人们参与社区生活。她以新加坡青年计划为例，该计划认可了家庭和学校之外的“第三空间”。

关于能力培养，英德拉妮女士表示，随着人们寿命的延长，学习不能再止步于正规教育。

“学习、适应和贡献将日益成为终身追求，”她说。

2026年10月23日，总理公署部长英兰妮·拉贾在星展基金会活动上发表讲话。（图片：CNA）

她指出，新加坡技能创前程人工智能订阅计划为新加坡人提供六个月的免费订阅服务，让他们可以试用人工智能工具。

新加坡也在逐步提高退休和再就业年龄，并通过推广兼职就业和灵活的工作安排来支持老年人就业，因为一些新加坡老年人希望继续工作并为社会做出贡献。

“归根结底，能力建设旨在赋予新加坡人信心、技能和机会，让他们能够终身学习、适应和贡献，”她说。

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