At an international forum in central Seoul, welfare officials and experts discussed the issue of low birth rates in Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong. SMU Dean of Students and Professor of Sociology (Practice) Paulin Straughan, a consultant on the fertility issue to the government, pointed to the perceived barriers and actual barriers related to delayed marriage and child birth. She said the top reason cited by singles for not marrying is: “I have not met a suitable partner yet and I want to concentrate fully on my job, studies or I don’t have enough money.” Real barriers include a lack of leisure time, and as a result young Singaporeans do not have the opportunity to expand their social circle … There are also intangible costs, such as the perceived cost of child care, as well as social norms and self-policing by women. Women feel they have to choose between a successful career and meeting the high expectations of being a responsible mother,” she said. She also called for education reform, a decrease in competitiveness and criticized the cost of supplementing learning with private academies and classes.