Chapter 3: (4) Welfare state in Britain

Why was a welfare state set up in Britain?

In the 1800s, the living condition of the people was bad due to WW2.

• There was high unemployment
• Poverty was widespread
• Shortage of food and fuel

In 1942. Sir William Beveridge delivered 'The Beveridge Report'. He recommended that the government create a welfare system for the people in Britain to reward them for the sacrifices they made during the war.

A welfare state would ensure that every citizen has a minimum standard of welfare for a decent life -- job, home, healthcare.

Watch this clip on how the welfare state came about due to challenges faced in WW2.

How was the welfare state set up?

1. Nationalisation: the government took over management of public utilities
2. Provision of social welfare: to pay for daily expenses such as winter clothing
3. Free healthcare: NHS to provide cradle-to-grave benefits

Conclusion

In this section, you've learnt why and how the welfare state came about. Can you think of the advantages and disadvantages of living under a welfare system?

Chapter 3: (3) Singapore's approach to healthcare

Singapore's approach to healthcare = shared responsibility
This came about because of the National Health Plan (1983) which encouraged self responsibility and community support. At the same time, the government would maintain policies to keep healthcare affordable.




1. Individual: Encouraging self-reliance
The 2 measures introduced to encourage self-reliance were Medisave and MediShield. Take a look at how money is channelled into Medisave accounts:



Using money from Medisave, Singaporeans can pay for the MediShield scheme. MediShield pays for large medical bills which Medisave does not cover. Can you recall how MediShield works?

Over the years, it has expanded to meet the specific needs of the people. Can you remember the group of people covered under each policy?

• MediShield (1990)
• MediShield Plus (1994)
• Eldershield (2002)
• Reformed MediShield (2005)

2. Role of the Government

• Keeps healthcare affordable through government subsidies, Medifund, restructuring of hospitals, and means-testing.
• Promotes a healthy lifestyle through regular physical exercises and a well-balanced diet.

Think of points, examples and elaborate on each of these policies.

3. Working with organisations

• The government is not superman! It cannot run all healthcare services in Singapore.
• Hence, the community provides some healthcare support services to meet the needs of the people.
• At the same time, support is given by the government to organisations that provide specific healthcare support services.
• E.g., NKF and the Ang Mo Kio-Thye Hwa Kwan Hospital.

Conclusion

Chapter 3: (2) Singapore healthcare in the past

Singapore: 1960s and 1970s

In the 1960s, the government was concerned with providing basic healthcare. This was because infectious diseases (e.g. tuberculosis) was common and spread easily.

See the steps taken by the Singapore government:

By the 1970s, the Singapore economy had improved and people enjoyed a better standard of living. They also wanted better heatlhcare services. See the improvements made in healthcare services in Singapore:

Such improvements need money! And the money came from the government budget.
Now, if the government spends a lot on healthcare, it will have less money to spend on other needs, e.g., education.

Singapore: 1980s
By the early 1980s, the government was concerned about the rising cost of healthcare. This is because resources are finite. See what then Health Minister, Goh Chok Tong, had to say:

• "Resources are finite in terms of funds, doctors and nurses. Providing welfare in healthcare will affect people's incentive to wrok. It is necessary to pay for the services that you want."

This is how the National Health Plan came about! It was a 20-year plan to improve the healthcare system in Singapore.

20 years have passed... Do you think that the National Health Plan has achieved its goals?


Conclusion
In this section, you looked at Singapore healthcare in the 1960s - 1980s. Can you link this back to what you learnt in Chapter 2 on the role of the government? Think about how the government has to anticipate problems and understand the changing needs of the people!

Chapter 3: (1) Managing healthcare

There are 3 challenges in managing healthcare:

1. To provide basic healthcare for the sick
2. To provide quality healthcare
3. To cope with increasing expenditure on healthcare

Let's compare less developed vs. more developed countries!

There is one important similarity between less developed and more developed countries.
In both countries, healthcare requires resources!

Recall the financial planner activity we did in class?

• Healthcare is a public good and must be provided for even if people can't pay for it!
• But there are fixed resources (scarcity) and needs have to be prioritised.
• Different countries have different healthcare needs. The amount of resources used also differs.

Conclusion
In this section, you have learnt the 3 challenges governments face in managing healthcare. In managing healthcare, a major concern is how to work out a system to pay for healthcare. Can you remember the various ways to do this? Refer to your textbook!

Chapter 2: (4) Singapore's population policy

1950s to 1960s

This was the period of the post-war 'baby boom' as there was peace and stability in Singapore. The average family had 6 to 7 children!

A population that is too big or too small can hinder the growth and development of the nation. Let's see how Singapore has tried to strike a balance between its population and developmental goals.


1966 to 1981: Controlling population growth

In 1966, the government set up the Singapore Family Planning and Population Board to plan its population policy. The aim was to control population growth.

Let's have a look at some posters. What can you tell from these posters?















1980s: Declining birth rate

Potential problems of a small population:
1. Unattractive to MNCs
- reduction in competitiveness

2. Ageing population
- strain on working population
- demand for more healthcare and social services

3. Weakened defence
- smaller security forces

Steps taken to promote population growth:

Meeting the challenges of an ageing population:

1. Senior citizens as assets to society
2. 'Many helping hands' approach
3. Invidisual responsibility (healthy lifestyle and financial planning)
4. Family support
5. Community help
6. Government support

Conclusion

In this section, you have learnt how Singapore has tried to strike a balance between its population and developmental goals.

Chapter 2: (3) Traffic flow in Singapore

Introduction
Singapore has a small land area. As Singapore's population continues to grow, there will be an increase in demand for land to build roads. At the same time, more land is also needed for other uses. Therefore, Singapore needs to manage the use of land carefully.

4 measures to control traffic flow

1. Area Licensing Scheme (ALS)
2. Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)
3. Park-and-ride Scheme
4. Vehicle Quota System (VQS)

Measure #1: ALS

In the 1970s, Singapore was experiencing rapid growth. As a result, traffic volume in the city centre was high, especially during the peak hours.

Before the problem became too serious, the government made plans to manage the traffic flow in the Central Business District (CBD).

Under the ALS, motorists had to pay for the use of certain roads in Singapore. Gantries were set up at the boundaries of city areas to monitor motorists.


But, it was labour-intensive! Imagine having to employ people to sit in the gantries.

And it was inconvenient! Imagine having to sit in a gantry the whole day staring at people's windscreens for the ALS label.

So, this led to the ERP system...

Measure #2: ERP

As technology improved, more efficient ways of monitoring and regulating traffic flow became possible.

The ERP system replaced the ALS scheme in 1998.



Measure #3: Park-and-ride scheme

This scheme was introduced at the same time as the ALS to control the traffic flow in the CBD.

Under this scheme, motorists could park their vehicles at specific car parks which were outside the city area. From these carparks, they could use public transport to enter the city area.

This meant that fewer vehicles would enter the CBD.

BUT! This scheme was unsuccessful.
Do you know what went wrong?


Measure #4: VQS
Under the VQS, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) determined the nunber of new motor vehicles allowed for registration. This was through the implementation of the COE system (do you know what COE stands for?)

Read the text/ ask your parents to find out more about how the COE system works!


Conclusion
You have learnt the 4 measures that the Singapore government used in managing traffic flow. Can you identify the different principles of governance at play?

Chapter 2: (2) The principles of good governance

4 main principles of good governance

Can you explain these 4 principles of governance?

If you are interested in knowing more about these 4 principles, click here.

Chapter 2: (1) Governance in Singapore

Introduction

A government is responsible for making important decisions to meet the needs of the nation and its people.

Watch the video on "The practice of good governance" before reading on!

Have you ever wondered what a government does?

Recall in Chapter 1, where you learnt about the challenges a state faces.

The government is thus responsible for meeting these challenges.

Look at the figure to see 4 of these functions.

So, how does the government work in Singapore?

Singapore practises representative democracy. This means that the people have the power and responsibility to choose the right leaders for Singapore.

When the government makes important decisions, the needs and wants of the people have to be considered. Hence, there is a need to create communication channels.

Based on a parliamentary system, the government in Singapore comprises 3 branches, each with its own set of powers and responsibilities.

Can you remember how laws are made and carried out in Singapore? Try to think of an example!

Conclusion

In this section, you have learnt that the government's duty is to meet the needs of its people and the nation. Specifically, you have seen how the Singapore government is organised and how it works.