SINGAPORE — Public support for National Service (NS) in Singapore remains very high, but more believe that NS does not provide enough employable skills relevant to career development, a study published by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) on Wednesday (July 5) found.
More than nine in 10 respondents to a survey said that they would support compulsory NS even if there were no immediate threats to Singapore, with 88 per cent also saying that they would encourage their friends and loved ones to serve NS even if it were optional.
Compared to 2013, a lower proportion of respondents thought that NS is important for learning skills useful for civilian employment — down from 82 per cent a decade ago. A similar proportion of operationally ready national servicemen also generally felt that their employers were supportive of NS, with more than three-quarters of employed servicemen saying their employers would take their NS commitments into account and adjust their workload.
The IPS study also follow discussions in recent years over how NS could possibly disrupt careers of national sportsmen. Likewise, geopolitical tensions such as the Ukraine crisis are also at the forefront of people’s minds, he added.Broadly, the study found that respondents strongly supported compulsory NS.
When asked if males should still serve NS if it were not compulsory, parents in focus groups voiced their support as they thought that NS helped with their sons' maturity and confidence. Many servicemen also felt that their experiences during NS were formative and memorableAlmost as many would also encourage their friends and loved ones to serve NS, even if NS were not compulsory
Nevertheless, the findings also found that respondents viewed NS as less important for learning useful skills for employment. Some servicemen, parents, and females in focus groups and interviews also noted that NS involved some trade-offs over education, career, and earning potential.
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