FUNDED BY: Ministry of Education Social Science Research Thematic Grant
(MOE 2016 – SSRTG – 044)
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR:Professor Wei-Jun Jean Yeung
Department of SociologyNational University of Singapore
Research Update Issue 1 | April 2020
Singapore Longitudinal EArly Development Study
fas.nus.edu.sg/cfpr/research/sgleads
6601 4959 - SG LEADS Research Manager
HOUSED BY: Centre for Family and Population Research
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences National University of Singapore
CONTACT US:
(Updated on 18 May 2020)
Child’s Gender
51% 49%
5%10%
17%68%
Chinese
Malay
Indian
Others
Child’s Race
North
Central
North-East
East
West
15%
19%
24%
29%
13%
WHO ARE THE SG LEADS FAMILIES?
Boy Girl
A nationally representative sample of 5,021 Singaporean children under 7 in 3,485 households across the island.
Note: All percentages shown in this report are adjusted for sample selection probability and response rates.
5-6 Years Old
3-4 Years Old
0-2 Years Old 30%
30%
40%
5,021Children
2
17.8%
0.7%
17.5%
9%
3.6%
3.9%
2.7%
10.8%
Parents’ Education
38.5%34%
Secondary (’O’ / ‘N’ level)
No Formal Schooling/ Pre-Primary
Polytechnic Diploma
Post-Secondary (Non-tertiary)
Primary
Professional Qualification and other Diploma
Bachelor’s or Equivalent
Postgraduate Diploma/ Certificate
Master’s and Doctorate or Equivalent
16.6%
0.6%
16.7%
7.5%
3.5%
6.8%
2.5%
7.3%
Father
Mother
KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF SG LEADS FAMILIES
HDB 4-Room Flats
HDB 1- and 2-Room Flats
Condominiums
HDB 5-Room and Executive Flats
HDB 3-Room Flats
Landed Properties
36.9%
3.7%
15.8%
28.3%
12.4%
2.9%
Housing Type Housing Ownership
Rented Part of Housing/ Subleased Housing
Owned by Primary Caregiver/ Household Member
Owned by Others
Rented Entire Housing Unit
5.6%
94%
0.1%0.3%
3
PRIMARY CAREGIVER OF THE CHILD
Who are Child’s Primary Caregivers?
Primary Caregiver’s Relationship to Child
Father
Mother
Legal Guardian
Other Father/ Mother Figure
95%
3.6%1% 0.4%
96.5% of Primary
Caregivers are currently married.
95% of Primary Caregivers for
Singaporean children under 7 are
mothers.
Homemaker/ Housewife
Currently Working
Unemployed
Student (Full-time)
Others
0.4%
97.2%
0.1%
1.7%
0.2%
39%34%
27.4%
72%
0.3%
0.1%
0.6%
Father
Mother
EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF CHILDREN’S BIOLOGICAL/ ADOPTIVE PARENTS
4
Households with Domestic Helpers
1 Domestic Helper
No Domestic Helper
2 or more Domestic Helpers
66%
1%
33%
HOUSEHOLD CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SG LEADS FAMILIES
4 Persons
2 Persons
6 Persons
5 Persons
3 Persons
7 Persons
8 Persons and Above
39.6%
0.4%
10.7%
22%
20.8%
4.6%
Household Size
1.9%
Child’s Living Arrangements
Living with 1 parent
Living with 2 parents
Not Living with parents
96.5%
0.5%3%
No. of Siblings
1 Sibling
No Siblings
3 or more Siblings
2 Siblings
51%
20%8%
21%
5
1 Grandparent
No Grandparents
3-4 Grandparents
2 Grandparents
No. of Grandparents Child is Living with
75.7%
0.1%
10.2%
14%
QUALITY OF COMMUNITY
5.5%
5%
Fair
Poor
0.4%
63%
1%
35.6%Fairly Safe
Extremely Dangerous
Completely Safe
Somewhat Dangerous
How do you rate your neighbourhood for raising children?
Good
Very Good
Excellent
48%
0.5%
41%
How safe is it to walk around alone in your neighbourhood after dark?
5.5%
5%
SPENDING TIME WITH PARENTSHow often do children eat with both parents?
How often do parents read to their children?
Several Times a Month
Never
A Few Times A Week
About Once A Week
Several Times A Year
Everyday
25.5%
35%8.3%
11.7%
2.9% 16.6%
About Once A Month
Never
About Once A Week
A Few Times A Month
A Few Times A Year
Several Times A Week
At Least Once A Day 0.2% 0.4%
4.2 %
1.4% 3%
32.6% 58%
6
21% of 3-6 year olds are enrolled in
Extracurricular Lessons*
* include Dance, Speech and Drama, Music, Arts, Sports,
and others
5.7% of children under 3
are enrolled in Enrichment Classes*
* include Sensory/ Movement, Speech and
Drama, Music and others
Child Care Centre/ Nursery School
Under 3 Years Old
Kindergarten
Infant Care Centre
Not in Any Program
4%
1%
33%
62%
Primary One (Mainstream/ Home Schooling)
Child Care Centre/ Nursery School
Not in Any Program
Kindergarten
41%
5%
14%
40%
3 -6 Years Old
DAYCARE/ SCHOOL AND OTHER ACTIVITIES
25% of 3-6 year olds attend
Tuition Classes for math, reading,
language and other topics
7
HOW CHILDREN SPEND TIME ON A WEEKDAY AND A WEEKEND DAY
Sleeping/ Napping
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
13h 7m
12h 2m
11h 31m
1m
4m
10m
51m
1h 18m
1h 24m
16m
30m
43m
45m
56m
1h
12h 34m
10h 35m
10h 5m
42m
50m
49m 28m
12m
21m
24m
18m
19m
2h 55m
6h 22m
6h 32m
Non-home-based Day Care/ School
Watching TV Other Electronic Devices
Sports or Other Active Play
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
5-6 Years Old0-2 Years Old 3-4 Years Old
*includes Active free play, Crawling, Jumping ropes, Running, Swimming, Jogging, Dancing, Organized sports and training, Walking/ Playing with pets
8
HOW CHILDREN SPEND TIME ON A WEEKDAY AND A WEEKEND DAY
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
WEEKDAY WEEKEND
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND
5-6 Years Old0-2 Years Old 3-4 Years Old
Eating/ Drinking/ Being Fed
Social Activities
Achievement-Oriented ActivitiesUnstructured Non-active Activities
2h 24m
2h 21m
2h 15m
1h 58m
1h 35m
1h 32m
16m
29m
44m
2h 50m
2h 29m
2h 18m
1h 26m
1h 38m
1h 38m
15m
28m
46m
2h 55m
1h 40m
1h 31m
8m
5m
6m
Travel
WEEKDAY
WEEKEND53m
1h 3m
1h 5m
30m
42m
46m
*includes Singing, Reading, Playing musical instruments/ games/ puzzles, Arts and crafts, Studying, Doing homework, or Music, Art, Academic lessons
*includes Free play (playing house, toys), Doing nothing, Other non-active activities
*includes Shopping, Visiting friends or relatives, Religious activities, Attending special events (e.g. live sporting events, concerts, or parties)
*includes travelling by Foot, Bike, Private motor vehicle, Taxi or private hired car, Public transport, Other travel
9
CHILDREN’S COGNITIVE STIMULATION
50-99
10-19
20-49
100 and more
0-9
15.7%
23.7%
20.7%
29.3%
10.6%
How Many Books Does the Child Have?
18.1%
25.1%
17.6%
22.6%
16.6%
How often do parents take 3-6 years olds to the library?
How often do parents take 3-6 years olds to the museum?
15.7%
4.1%
43.9%
34.8%
1.5%
20% of 3-6 year
olds have a Musical
Instrument they can
use
Have One but Child has Access
Don’t have One at Home
Child has His/Her Own
Have One but Child has No Access 77.7%
14.3%
7.9%
0.1%
Access to PC or Laptop (3-6 Years Old)
Once Or Twice A Year
About Once A Month
Several Times A Year
Never
More Than Once A Month
10
5.5%
5%
Fair
Poor
Child’s Health Status
Good
Very Good
Excellent
39.3%
0.2%
53%
3.3%4.2%
4.5% of children
under 7 havePhysical or Mental
Conditions that limit their usual
childhood activities.
CHILDREN’S HEALTH(As Reported by Primary Caregivers)
7-12 months
3 month or less
13-24 months
4-6 months
More than 24 months
16%
21%
22%
12.3%
How long was the child breastfed?
Never Breastfed
Still Breastfeeding
14%
4.4%
10.3%
5.5%
5%
2 or more
1
0
93.5%
1.1%5.4%
No. of Chronic Conditions Children Have(As Diagnosed by Doctor/ Health Professional)
Some Chronic Conditions include:• Allergies• Asthma• Speech impairment or delay• Epileptic fit or convulsion• Autism• Developmental problems, such as learning
disability or developmental delay• Serious hearing difficulty or deafness• Three or more ear infections in a year• Anemia or iron deficiency• Others
11
National Representation:• 3,485 households, 5,021 children aged 0-6 across the nation in 2018/ 2019
• Represent all races and all socioeconomic statuses
Housing & Community:• Live in all family types, with the largest
group (36.9%) living in a 4-room HDB flat• 94% own a home• The majority feel they live in a safe
community (98%) • 46.5% feel their neighbourhood is
excellent or very good for raising a child
Parents’ Education & Employment Status:• 1 in 5 children have parents with a
secondary education or lower, about 30% have parents with post-secondary education, almost half of the parents have a Bachelor or equivalent degree or higher
• 97% fathers and 72% mothers are currently working
Caretakers & Family Composition:• 95% of the primary caregivers are
mothers• 96% of the primary caregivers are married• 1 in 3 of the families have a domestic
helper
Living Arrangement:• 96.5% children live with two parents• 80% children grow up with at least one
sibling• On average, there are 4.6 persons living in
a household, ranging from 2 to 13
Spending Time With Parents:• 58% eat with both parents at least once a
day, and 32.6% several times a week• 35% parents read to child every day, and
26% a few times a week• 43.2% go to a library at least once a
month• 56.1% visit a museum at least once a year
Day Care/ School & Enrichment (3-6 Year Olds):• 95% attending a day care centre,
kindergarten, or primary school• One in five attends extracurricular
activities such as dancing, music, arts, sport, or others
• One in four attends tuition classes such as math, reading, language or others
Infant/ Childcare & Enrichment (Under 3 Years Old):• 4% in infant care centre, and 33% in a child
care centre or nursery school• 6% attending enrichment classes such as
sensory/movement, music, speech or others
How Children Spend Time On A Weekday & A Weekend Day:• Sleeping: 10-13 hours/day depending on
age• Watching TV: 40-50 minutes/weekday
and 50 minutes to 1:24/weekend day• In Day Care/ School: about 3 to 6.5
hours/day depending on age• Unstructured non-active play: 1.5 to 3
hours on a weekday, 2-3 hours on a weekend day
• Sports or other active play: 19-24 minutes/weekday, 45 minutes to 1 hour/weekend day
• On Weekends: more time on sleeping, eating, free play, meeting family and relatives, shopping, and outdoor activities
Child’s Health:• 42% of the children are in excellent or very
good health, 53% are in good health• 6.5% of them have a chronic condition• 88% of the children were breastfed, with
about 5% for 24 months or more
SUMMARY OF SG LEADS FAMILIES
12