Should the entry requirements for maids be lowered?

Find out more about the appeal to change entry requirements for maids in Singapore.

Read this article to find out more about the entry requirements for maids in Singapore.

Demand and supply

The contentious issue of the entry requirements for maids in Singapore has recently come under fire as calls are increasingly being made to lower the entry requirements for maids. Maids are becoming a common addition to households in Singapore and it comes as no surprise that the demand for maids is rising as well.

In fact, the government estimates that the demand for maids in Singapore will rise by 100,000 by 2030. Thus, the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS) is appealing to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to lower the entry requirements for maids.

Proposing changes

Currently, foreign maids are required to be at least 23 years of age and have at least 8 years of education before being allowed to work in Singapore. AEAS is appealing to lower the age requirement to 18 instead. In addition, AEAS is also appealing to remove the current educational requirements for aspiring maids. While the MOM looks into the issue, here are some arguments for and against the lowering of the entry requirements for maids.

The entry requirement for maids should be lowered

Lowering the entry requirements for maids will allow Singapore to benefit from a larger pool of talent.
The age and educational requirements should be left to the employer’s individual preferences and should not be decided by the authorities.
This will also eradicate the problem faced by many maids in Singapore who are forced to lie about their age in order to work here.
The age requirement for domestic workers in countries like Hong Kong, Malaysia and Taiwan is only 18 or 21 years.
AEAS also points out that there is no age requirement for work permit holders in the construction or marine industry.
Foreign maids are also likely to be married with children by the age of 23 and thus, they are more prone to suffering from emotional problems when they come to Singapore to work.

Weigh the pros and cons of changing maid requirements

The entry requirements for maids should not be lowered

Maids under the age of 23 may not be mature enough to handle the stress of taking care of a household.
Young maids may not be independent enough to survive in a foreign land by themselves.
Without the educational requirements, maids might not be qualified enough to perform their duties satisfactorily.
Keeping the entry requirement for maids high ensures that only maids of the highest calibre are allowed to work in Singapore.

So what is the verdict?

There are strong cases for both sides and everybody seems to have a different opinion on this issue. Nevertheless, it is good that AEAS has brought this issue to the attention of the MOM.

What are your views on this matter? Check out this video from last year on a mandatory settling-in programme that was designed for maids:

Source

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Written by

Sean Foo

maids