Driving Skills | Health | Education | English Language Skills | Child CareAu Pairs in General | Religion | Telephone | Diet | Miscellaneous

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The following information is generalized and compiled from questions posed to the agents and interviewers in Singapore. Although au pairs from Singapore may or may not have had these experiences/beliefs, Au Pair in America wishes to share this general information with our families.

Driving Skills

1. Cost and difficulty to obtain a driver's license
   
Most candidates are able to obtain their license after 12 months from the time of application. The average cost of lessons and exam is generally over USD $1200. The government leans toward a policy of restricting the driving and car population in Singapore due to it being such a small country. For this reason, it is very common for candidates to receive their driver's license only after their third attempt, even if the candidate's practical driving skills are excellent.
2. Obtaining a driver's license e.g. driving lessons, practical and theoretical test?
   The candidates can go for theory lessons to prepare for the theoretical test, and practical driving lessons to prepare for the Traffic Police Driving Test concurrently. Vacancies for taking these tests are very limited, hence the long waiting period. After passing all the theoretical tests and driving test, the candidate can then apply for the International Driving License, one year after they get their local license.
3. Availability and cost of obtaining an International Driving license
   The international license is available, at USD $15 per year.
4. Obtaining a driving license
   Few young women apply for the driving rest, unless they are planning to buy a car, because the lessons are expensive, and the process takes so long. They are allowed to take the test after their 18th birthday. Many young female drivers in the 18 - 26 year old age group have obtained their license while studying in countries like Australia, America or England.
5. How common is it for 18-26 year olds to own their own car or use the family car
   Car prices in Singapore are the most expensive in the world - a new Honda Accord typically costs over US$80,000. Most Singaporean women in the 18 - 26 year old age group do not have their own cars, but they drive their family cars.
6. Cars - manual or automatic
   Almost all the cars in Singapore are automatic as they are more popular, but some vans are manual. Drivers, however, are taught both automatic and manual transmissions.

Health

1. Most common inoculations
   German Measles, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis B
2. Innoculation for TB (Tuberculosis)
   Most young women are inoculated against TB.
3. Free health service
   Singapore is not a welfare country, hence there is no free health service. However, the public clinics and hospitals provide inexpensive and high quality health care and medication, and these services are commonly available in all geographical areas in Singapore.
4. Cost and regularity of visits to the dentist
   Most young women visit the dentist at least once every 6 months. A regular dental visit is about USD $10-30, and each filling costs about USD $20-30.
5. "Eating Disorders"
   In Singapore, 'eating disorders' are not as prevalent as in other developed countries.

Education

1. Percentage of young women that go on to university
   The percentage of Singaporean young women that receive local university education is about 12% of each cohort. Another 10 - 15% of each cohort attends university in the United States, England, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The percentage of males and females are almost equal for all education levels.
2. Alternatives chosen if not attending university
   Like the men, most of these young women start working after they stop studying.
3. Importance of educational opportunities of the Au Pair in America program to the au pair
   The educational opportunities in the United States are very attractive to the au pair, especially, for those who could not afford to obtain higher education locally or overseas. There is a very strong emphasis on continuing education amongst Asian families, and most people will study if given the opportunity to.
4. Start and finish of the academic year
   The academic year for high school students starts in January and ends in November. The academic year for local universities starts in June / July and finishes in April / May.

English Language Skills

1. Is English a compulsory subject in the schools in your country?
   Yes, English is the medium of education in all primary, secondary schools, pre-university colleges and universities in Singapore.
2. Description of the study of English in schools e.g. from what age English is taught, how many years is English compulsory, courses focused on written or oral skills
   English is taught to a child from their first day in pre-school (2 - 6 years old) and throughout the school years (7 to 18 years old). As English is the medium of education, all students are expected to read, speak and write English, as proficiently as native English speakers. All Singaporean students speak fluent English, and English is the first language to many of them. Many families speak only English at home.

Childcare

1. Common attitudes to and types of discipline for children
   Parents in Singapore use personal examples of good behaviour, and verbal communication to guide and counsel their children. Physical punishment is not accepted, either socially or legally, as a disciplinary method.
2. Physical discipline of children
   Physical punishment of children is a thing of the past. It has become unacceptable in our families and such practice only occurs as a kind of social anomaly.
3. How child care is obtained if formal qualification not held
   There are many young women who gain child care experience by working as Sunday-school teachers, babysitting younger siblings, relatives or neighbours, working as private tutors during school vacation periods, or working in accredited child care centers. Private tuition (to assist academically weaker students in their homework and school curriculum) is a thriving industry and is very common in Singapore and almost every young student has worked as a private tutors.
4. Sharing child care responsibilities by both parents
   Most parents share child care responsibilities in the family. This is especially true since most women also work. The line of distinction between the conventional responsibilities of a husband and wife is slowly vanishing.
5. Both working parents
   It is very common for both parents to work and be away from home during the day. Hence, the children would have to learn to be independent, and the older children are expected to be role models and to look after their younger siblings.

Au Pairs in General

1. The concept of being an 'au pair'
   The concept is not generally known yet. The agent is conducting more marketing and educational talks with the parents, teaching staff in tertiary institutions as well as to the young people, to introduce the Au Pair in America program.
2. The motivation of young people to want to be an au pair
   Singaporean youth are well travelled, and very interested in gaining working and educational experience overseas, especially in the United States. They are responsible, adaptable, versatile, friendly and eager to share their culture and experiences with people from different countries.
3. Improving job potential upon returning home after a year in the USA
   Spending a year as an au pair in America will show that the young women are responsible, have an international outlook, and the ability to work well with people from other nationalities. These qualities are desirable to their potential employers, particularly if these young people aspire to work in the education sector, or for American or other multi-national corporations upon their return to Singapore.
4. What is the current level of unemployment in Singapore?
   The current unemployment rate in Singapore is about 4% of the total labor force.
5. Do Au Pairs in Singapore have a problem finding the fees for the Au Pair in America program?
   Most of the au pair applicants in Singapore have adequate personal savings, or will be funded by their families, in order to pay for the fees.

Religion

1. Most common religions
   Singaporean society is multi-cultural and multi-religious Buddhism / Taoism / Confucianism (53%), Christianity (26%), Hinduism/Sikhism (4%), and Islam (16%)
2. Practice of religion by young people
   Many young people in Singapore practice their religion regularly.
3. Would a young person choose to practice a religion that is different than her family's religion
   Unlikely
4. Common religious practices e.g. special practices or dietary restrictions
   Most young people have a liberal attitude toward food, especially when they are overseas. Traditionally, believers of the Islam faith do not eat pork or drink liquor, those of Hinduism and some Taoists/Buddhists refrain from eating beef. However, it is generally acceptable practice fro them to handle such meats should they need to cook these meats for others.

Telephone

1. Telephones in the home
   Yes, almost every family has at least one telephone in their home.
2. Would most parents/family speak English well enough to take a message from an American Host Family?
   Yes, almost everyone - young or old - is fluent in English. Mobile phone ownership is common among the youth, and it is likely that they will use their mobile phone number as a means for American Families to contact them.
3. Computer or e-mail access
   Yes, most young people have computers and can have access to e-mail at home, in school or in the Internet cafes.

Diet

1. Attitudes to eating meat
   Almost everyone in Singapore eats meat.
2. Vegetarianism
   Vegetarianism is not common among young Singaporeans.
3. Other common dietary traditions
   Although most Singaporeans are accustomed to eating South East Asian food in their daily lives, the younger cosmopolitan Singaporeans are adventurous, and are very receptive to Western and international cuisines. International cuisines are inexpensive, and a wide variety is very common in all of the shopping malls located in the city area and suburbs. Young Singaporeans who are selected in this program are very adaptable in their lifestyles and dietary habits.

Miscellaneous

1. Freedom of their family to socialize and date
   Youths are encouraged by their families to lead a healthy social life.
2. Curfews at home
   Most parents may have curfews on the time the young people are supposed to return home. In addition, the youth are expected to call their family and inform their family of their whereabouts, so that the family will not get worried.
3. Are most young women accustomed to sharing in household chores?
   Most young women are accustomed to sharing in household chores.
4. Is the population of your country racially or ethnically diverse?
   Singaporean society is multi-cultural - the total population is made up of Chinese (76%), Indian (6), Malay (15%), others (3%)
   If so, would this be represented in the young people you would recruit?
   Based on our previous experience in managing exchange programs, it is likely that more candidates from the Chinese and Indian communities will enroll. The Malay participants are likely to be those who had lived or studied overseas, prior to enrolling in our programs.
   
5. Three main characteristics of the people
   Responsible, well-trained, hardworking.
6. Attitudes to nudity both in and out of the home e.g. sunbathing in the nude?
   Nudity is not acceptable at all - socially or legally - in public areas, and is not practiced in Singapore, unless it is in one's own home, in total privacy.

Additional useful information
The Singaporean youth are friendly, disciplined, intelligent, mature, love to travel, dependable, well read and curious about what is happening all around the world. They are also fluent in English, and everyone is either effectively bilingual or trilingual.

Au Pair in America®, 10/2004