Debate on President’s speech: Joan Pereira on supporting social workers and deepening social harmony

As Singapore’s population rapidly ages and its population pyramid starts to invert amid shrinking family sizes and changing social norms, the government should consider dedicating more resources to the social care sector, said MP Joan Pereira in parliament on Tuesday (Sep 23). She called for professional upgrading for social workers based on new findings from global research, as well as better recognition and compensation to tackle burnout and attrition rates. Ms Pereira also spoke on social harmony, urging a move beyond “mere tolerance” to deepening mutual understanding, appreciation and respect of different faiths, traditions and co-existence. In particular, she urged deeper engagement with youth, saying many she had met have good questions and think about such issues very seriously.