GE2025: PAR proposes free education, school meals, & healthcare for all S'porean children

If elected to Parliament, the People's Alliance for Reform (PAR) will work towards providing free education from pre-nursery to polytechnic and university for all Singaporean children.

Concurrently, the coalition of opposition parties will also work towards providing free school meals and free healthcare for all Singaporean children from birth, said PAR secretary-general Lim Tean in an Apr. 13 Facebook post.

Without disclosing how the PAR will be funding these proposals, Lim wrote that PAR will soon release "a detailed costing" in PAR's "Contract with Singapore" for GE2025.

On Sunday, Lim also shared PAR's plans with the media during a walkabout at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre in Potong Pasir Single-Member Constituency (SMC).

Potong Pasir SMC is one of the ten constituencies that PAR will be contesting in GE2025, which must be held by November.

Besides the ward, PAR is also eyeing Jalan Kayu SMC, Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency (GRC), Tanjong Pagar GRC, Mountbatten SMC, Radin Mas SMC, Queenstown SMC, Kebun Bahru SMC, Marymount SMC, and Yio Chu Kang SMC.

Policies aim to tackle 'cost-of-living pressures': Lim

During his speech, Lim said that he chose to reveal PAR's plan at Potong Pasir SMC because of its relevance to many of the constituents, whom Lim identified to be families with young children.

He contended that PAR's proposed policies would "uplift [Singapore's] dismal total fertility rate (TFR) of 0.97" by "massively alleviating the cost-of-living pressures" on young Singaporeans.

According to Lim, based on the conversations PAR had with young Singaporeans, cost-of-living pressure is "the main impediment" for them to start or raise a family.

Concurrently, Lim said that PAR does not see immigration as a viable solution to Singapore's declining TFR, claiming that the country's TFR kept "going down" even with the presence of migrants.

Details of policies

According to Lim, PAR proposed free education for all Singaporean children because parents had told the coalition that "education costs and the fear of not being able to provide well for their children" were the main reasons behind their reluctance to start families.

"The cost of education is a major source of anxiety for parents. Today, pre-nursery, childcare and tertiary education fees are crushing for many families, even after subsidies.

PAR believes education must be free — so every child can reach their full potential without financial barriers. An educated population is the bedrock of a prosperous nation, and the dividends of investing in our children will benefit all Singaporeans."

Likewise, the coalition called for free school meals for Singaporean children, regardless of their family income levels, as a "cost-effective investment" towards the children's productivity and Singapore's prosperity in the future.

"No children should go hungry in Singapore. Many families struggle to provide nutritious meals, affecting children's concentration, well-being, and growth. Free school meals will level the playing field and ensure that every child has the fuel they need to learn, grow, and thrive."

Beyond education, PAR also proposed that all Singaporean children be covered by free healthcare from birth, which Lim regarded as a mark of "a compassionate and advanced society".

Funding proposal will not raid reserves: Lim

Lim also emphasised during his speech that PAR rejected the "tired argument" that Singapore cannot afford to roll out its proposed policies, citing that Singapore is "a wealthy nation".

He doubled down on his point during the walkabout, saying:

"I have no time for those people who say that, 'Oh, you are giving free things. You are going to raid the reserves. That is a fallacious, tired argument which has no place in modern Singapore."