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Increasingly Placing Greater Importance on Curiosity and Creativity
Survey: “Responsibility” Remains at the Top; “Filial Piety” Drops in Ranking
Translated by ChatGPT
Lianhe Zaobao
2026-08-26
Reported by Lim Mei Ling (林美玲）
A survey showed that over the past seven years, the biggest change has been in “curiosity”. In 2020, only 6.7 per cent of respondents considered this an important trait that children should possess. This year, the proportion increased to 23 per cent, an increase of 16.3 percentage points. “Creativity” followed closely, rising from 8.6 per cent in 2020 to 23.2 per cent this year, an increase of 14.6 percentage points.
Local people's expectations of what traits the new generation should possess are changing. The survey showed that over the past seven years, people have increasingly placed importance on children possessing “curiosity” and “creativity”, with the proportion of people who place importance on “curiosity” more than doubling. In contrast, fewer people place greater importance on traditional values such as “politeness”, “filial piety” and “respect for elders”.
However, people's emphasis on “responsibility”, a core value, remains unchanged. For seven consecutive years, it has been the trait most people expect the new generation to possess. In the latest survey, 47 per cent of respondents selected “a sense of responsibility”, while “empathy” came second, at 36 per cent.
RySense, a local research organisation established by the Ministry of Digital Development and Information, released the findings of the survey research on Tuesday (August 25). The study analysed multiple surveys conducted from 2020 to 2026. These surveys, conducted by RySense's online platform HappyDot.sg, interviewed 6,821 Singapore residents aged 15 and above, including parents and non-parents. Each year, respondents selected the three most important traits, from the same list of 15 traits, that children in today's society should possess.
The traits are: responsibility, politeness, empathy, inclusiveness, respect for elders and authority, diligence, helpfulness, obedience, perseverance, filial piety, piety, independence, creativity, curiosity and humility.
Over the past seven years, the biggest change has been in “curiosity”. In 2020, only 6.7 per cent of respondents considered this an important trait that children should possess. This year, the proportion increased to 23 per cent, an increase of 16.3 percentage points.
“Creativity” followed closely, rising from 8.6 per cent in 2020 to 23.2 per cent this year, an increase of 14.6 percentage points. People's emphasis on these two traits was particularly pronounced this year. Last year, only 11 per cent and 8 per cent of respondents respectively placed importance on curiosity and creativity; this year, both increased to about 23 per cent.
RySense believes that this may reflect a broader trend in which, as environmental changes intensify, people are placing increasing importance on adaptability and continuous learning. The rapid expansion and deepening application of artificial intelligence (AI) may also further accelerate this shift, prompting people to learn and adopt new technologies more actively in their work and daily lives.
In the AI Era, Children Need Even More Curiosity and Irreplaceable Qualities
Dr Connie Lum, a veteran early childhood education practitioner and deputy head of the preschool group of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning, said that it is a positive development that “responsibility” and “empathy” have remained in the top two positions for many consecutive years, because both are important qualities.
As for traditional values such as “respect for elders and authority” and “filial piety” no longer being given priority, Dr Connie Lum believes this may be related to the fact that the younger generation has grown up in a different background and living environment from the previous generation. As a result, the younger generation's understanding and expression of these values are also different.
“For this generation of young people, respect does not mean blind obedience. This does not mean that they do not respect their elders, but rather that they will not blindly follow their elders' opinions.”
Dr Connie Lum believes that the significantly greater emphasis placed on “creativity” and “curiosity” is encouraging. In the AI era, it is more important to cultivate abilities in children that AI cannot replace, and curiosity and creativity are precisely indispensable driving forces.
She pointed out that in the future, much knowledge will be easily accessible through AI, so children will need to possess curiosity even more, rather than simply accepting and copying the answers provided by AI. “When he is curious, he will not simply copy one answer, but will look for more answers and compare which one is correct.”
She also emphasised the importance of social skills, because these affect how children will communicate and cooperate with others in the future. As for moral values and character, such as honesty, care and respect, these are likewise qualities that AI cannot replace and must be cultivated from a young age.
Lim Mei Ling
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