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15 Aug 2005
Singapore
The majority of full-time, school students aged 15 years and above are left to their own devices during school holidays, according to latest research from ACNielsen Research Singapore. A recent ACNielsen survey found that the most popular school holiday pastime Singaporean full-time students indulged in was getting together with friends (70%), and entertaining themselves at home with computer games and the internet (68%). A similar trend was also found for the school break last December, where 64 percent and 69 percent respectively entertained themselves in this way.
A significant proportion of students are apparently keen to earn their own keep, according to ACNielsen. While one-third made use of the June school break to earn extra pocket money, the figure was higher in December last year, where more than four in 10 took on part-time jobs – possibly because there are greater part-time work opportunities during the festive season. Among other activities that occupied their time were school-organised activities, overseas vacations—with family/relatives (14%), and with friends (13%), as well as a minority (3%) who attended short-term courses.
So how much effort do parents put in to ensure quality time spent with, and by their kids during their month-long mid-year vacation? When it comes to how parents organised themselves around their children, 37 percent of those surveyed admitted they did nothing special. However, 36 percent and 33 percent respectively did make the extra effort to ensure quality time through organising either local activities or overseas vacations with their family.
And school holidays obviously don’t come cheap! With all the local and overseas activities children and parents engage in, expenses are likely to shoot up during this period of time. “Based on our survey, while most parents spent less than $200 on each child during the June break, a very generous minority of five percent splashed out more than $1,000,” commented Mr Ashok Charan, Managing Director of ACNielsen Research Singapore.
Average spent by parents on each child duriing the June school break |
Below $100 |
31.9% |
$100 - $199 |
21.2% |
$200 - $499 |
16.9% |
$500 - $999 |
8.6% |
$1,000 - $1,999 |
2.1% |
$2,000 and above |
2.5% |
Not sure |
16.8% |
Besides expenses for organised activities, one in two children received weekly ‘pocket money’ from their parents of about $30 per week on average. However, the majority of parents claimed that they do not give any allowances or are not sure of the amount they give their children during the school break.
Weekly pocket money given to each child |
Not sure |
17,5% |
$20 and below |
17.1% |
$21 - $50 |
11.9% |
$51 - $100 |
5.7% |
$101 - $200 |
1.9% |
None |
45.9% |
“The bulk of expenses parents incurred during school breaks relates to overseas trips,” said Mr Charan. “Where family trips took place in June, 36.3 percent of parents indicated that they spent over $1,000 per head.” (Chart 3)
However, compared to last December, the incidence of overseas travel is much lower this June, which could possibly be due to the relatively shorter mid-year break. ACNielsen survey findings showed that the most visited overseas destination by Singaporeans in June, not surprisingly, was Malaysia, where half of the Singaporean population who travelled overseas visited the country. The other top holiday destinations were Thailand (16%), followed by China (10%).
‘
It is interesting to note that the top three holiday destinations for Singaporeans in June—Malaysia, Thailand, and China—each have a much favorable exchange rate vis-à-vis Singapore,” said Mr Charan.
The survey on school holiday activities was conducted at the end of June 2005 through the ACNielsen CATI Omnibus, a monthly telephone survey interviewing 1,000 people aged 15+ representative of the Singapore population.
About ACNielsen
ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns. To learn more, visit www.acnielsen.com.
ACNielsen is part of the VNU Marketing Information group. VNU is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media measurement and information (Nielsen Media Research) and business information (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Computing, Intermediair). VNU is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands and New York, USA. The company employs 38,000 people.
Total revenues amounted to EUR 3.8 billion in 2004. VNU is listed on the Euronext Amsterdam (ASE: VNU) stock exchange. For more information, please visit the VNU website at www.vnu.com
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