Singapore pupils go back to basics

Many children in Singapore do nothing in the house

Singaporean children are being taught how to do simple household chores in an effort to make them less dependent on their maids.

Pupils at the Teck Ghee Primary School are now given lessons such as how to make the bed and prepare toast, the Straits Times reported on Monday.

Some argue Singaporean children have more time to be creative

The teacher in charge of the school's "Little Housekeeper" programme said the lessons were created after it became apparent that many pupils did nothing to help with housework.

"With both parents working, many children are left in the care of maids and become dependent on them. We wanted to teach our pupils to be more independent," said R. Mohanandas.

As the children get older, they learn to do more taxing jobs such as cleaning their shoes, sewing on buttons and ironing.

Life-line

According to a survey of Singapore's teenagers this year, 40% admitted that they could not survive without their maid.

"If I don't have a maid, I'll die. It's so tough," AFP news agency quoted 18-year-old Lim Zijie, who has never had to iron - or even fold - his clothes, as saying.

Commentators in Singapore cannot agree on whether the 140,000 maids employed in the country have a good or bad impact on children's development.

There have been concerns that youngsters can go grow up spoilt, and lack an entrepreneurial spirit.

But some academics have argued that children with maids are given more freedom to think.