General Paper 2008 Prelim Examination Paper 1

1. General Paper 2008Prelim Examination Paper 1 General Paper 2008Prelim Examination Paper 1 Adrian Samuel Bell Adrian Samuel Bell B’Ed (Hons), M.A, MSc.

2. General Paper 2008Prelim Examination Paper 1 18th September 2008 Adrian Samuel Bell B’Ed (Hons), M.A, MSc.

3. 1.“Giving people a voice only makes matters worse”. What are your views? Key words: “Only”: absolute - Students would be expected to refer to situations where giving people a voice has made matters better “Matters”: Very wide - Students would be expected to consider that ‘matters’ include a wide variety of issues (not for example just their freedom / liberty) and that these ‘matters’ range from the relatively insignificant to those which they deem to be crucial.

4. Students should show some understanding of the term ‘Giving people a voice’ in the question and that it refers essentially to the right or opportunity for the general public to express a choice or an opinion. Hence these two elements should be apparent in their essays: a) Expression of choice b) Expression of opinion

5. Global This is a global question. Students should not confine their answer exclusively to Singapore. Moreover, it is crucial that students make reference not only to a variety of countries in their answer examining examples and policies but that they recognize that ‘giving people a voice’ is an integral part of a democracy but that not all countries are run along democratic lines.

6. To gain higher marks: Students would be expected to comment that not every society is organized along democratic lines hence in communist or fascist societies for example the governments may take the attitude that giving people a voice may be un-constitutional and could make matters worse. Hence in such societies, edicts at the governmental level would by default prevent any potential benefits from the giving of people a voice to emerge.

7. As an option it is important to allow students to argue that it is not a matter or ‘worse or better’ but whether it is worse to the point where the ‘better’ are nullified. It is important to allow students to argue that ‘make matters worse’ may be to different degrees – worse could range from inconvenient to even riotous and revolutionary.

8. c) It is important to allow students to argue that it may be worse in some areas while being simultaneously better in other areas. (eg. could inconvenience the prevailing government while bringing benefits to the country as a whole – as in President Marcos of Philippines – for him ‘people power’ was inconvenient and troublesome and eventually lead to his downfall – making matters worse – but for the people it resulted in more democracy and they believe it made matters better.)

9. 2. Does education cause the death of innovation? Key words: ‘Death’: final and absolute ‘Education’: broad – includes both formal and informal, many levels and types -: Students would be expected to refer to: Situations where education may result in the ‘death’ of innovation Situations where education may stultify innovation but not kill it Situations where education may actually lead to improved innovation

10. Global This is a global question. Students should not confine their answer exclusively to Singapore. Students could examine some of these reasons for education being perceived as leading to a death in innovation.

11. Possible approaches:- Will cause • educational systems usually encourage conformity to certain norms • school rules, examinations • subjects focused on in schools are usually content-heavy • schools mainly focus on subjects like math, science, humanities

12. Possible approaches:- Will not cause • although subjects may be content-heavy, skills emphasized encourage higher-order thinking • problem-based learning, experimental learning • in order to innovate, one needs to have basic knowledge and understanding of concepts that schools focus on • math, science, economics concepts are useful foundations to draw on in “thinking out of the box”

13. May affect innovation but not necessarily cause the ‘death of innovation’ Where education restricts or limits innovative thought in that it promoted convergent thought - by making it difficult for the innovator to think divergently – this may still result in innovation but could delay the process.

14. NOTE: Students should be expected to at least refer to the changes required to make innovation more viable in schools – while the questions refers to whether it causes the ‘death’ of innovation - nevertheless it is crucial that they at least consider the ramifications for education – i.e. how education can actually encourage innovation – because this question is NOT just referring to the status quo of what is happening now – but of what CAN HAPPEN.

15. 3. Examine the claim that patriotism is of little value in modern times. Key words: ‘Claim’:Something that is not necessarily true and is open to intepretation ‘Patriotism’:Can be defined as the love / loyalty one has for his country. It is NOT nationalism where one feels that his nation is better than all other nations. ‘little value’:It is not worthless, but with respect to other things, it is not worth as much

16. The importance of ‘values’ as they can affect attitude and behavior should ideally be commented upon in a cause and effect relationship. Values should be referred to assubjectiveand students should comment that they vary across people and cultures. Types of values includeethical/moralvalues,doctrinal/ideological(political, religious) values,socialvalues, andaestheticvalues. Better students may point out that it is debated whether some values areintrinsic. Whether patriotism is intrinsic inparticular is highly debatable even within the same societies.

17. “modern times”: The context is set to the present or ‘now’. Students must focus predominately on modern times and those who give a clear and relevant definition of what they mean by modern times and who follow up by consistently referring to and keep within that definition - should be rewarded with credit.

18. NOTE: Students should be given credit if they point that patriotism means different things to different people

19. Possible approach:- The main focus of the question should be for students to attempt to argue or defend the value of patriotism in the modern times. Question student should attempt to answer include why is it important to be patriotic as opposed to not being so.

20. Students should also bear in mind that patriotism requires one to put the interest of the nation above oneself. With rising individualism people are increasingly putting themselves and their interest before the interest of the nation.

21. With the advent of globalization, making countries more connected and allowing even greater mobility and opportunities for people to leave one’s country to move on to another country where there are greater chances for one to enhance their standard of living, is there any value left in patriotism? Arguably, monetary gain outweighs the loyalty one has for his or her country. The world is controlled by economic progress, what one can do, and not what one feels for one’s country.

22. The best essays will recognize that it may be the case in some societies but less so in others and that even at the individual level people will vary in the way they perceive and value patriotism.

23. 4. Is there a justifiable need for wild life? Key words: “Justifiable need”: Can we defend why we need wildlife now? The context is presumably in the present. “Wildlife”: Not necessarily wild animals. It can also mean wild plants or any organism tat is not kept in captivity or domesticated.

24. Possible approaches:- This is a very area-specific question. Students need to display rich knowledge about the forms of wildlife and why we need them. Students who write about the need for wildlife conservation is only answering part of the question. Students who discusses the important work of wildlife organizations (Greenpeace, WWF and UNESCO) and the various work they do, is deemed to have not answered the question, as the question does NOT require a discussion about the various conservation efforts.

25. The best essays will recognize that it may be the case in some societies some people may be skeptical of the need for some wildlife – especially farmers whose livelihood is threatened by encroaching wildlife while some people will even prioritize wildlife above the need for humans! Most will put wildlife on parity with humans. In the end students should point out that it largely depends on a person’s values.

26. 5. Is the cost of developing a national identity too high? Key words: “National identity”:the national identity of the individual requires his/her understanding and commitment to the nation. The focus is on becoming effective members of a society. “Cost”:economic terms, moral terms, general social terms etc. (not just economic) “High”:in that it affects other things

27. Assumptions Assumption 1 underlying “comes”: We are still developing a national identity. Assumption 2 underlying “too”: There are problems that we encounter in the process of nation-building. More importantly, these compromises are not worth it.

28. Possible approaches:- • Why we need to develop a national identity • How we develop a national identity >Problems of developing a national identity

29. Possible pitfalls:- > Examples of problems encounted without doing a cost-benefit analysis- and thus not addressing the work “too” (especially in the case of the student who agrees with the extreme statement and does not challenge it.

30. The best essays will recognize that it may be the case in some societies the cost – economically and otherwise is too high as slows productivity, enrages ethnic groups and may even lead to some people feeing their liberty is at stake (eg ID Cards) . In the end students should comment that it depends on the society, the government and the people’s values.

31. Danger:- Students may make the mistake of only or almost exclusively discussing economic (monetary) terms and this would have to be penalized with the maximum mark being a mere pass (max content would be 15/30)

32. 6. Morality has taken a backseat today. Discuss. Key words: “Morality”:should be defined – possible definition is the quality of being in accord with standards of right or good conduct or a system of ideas that fall into those same categories “backset”:secondary position in terms of inferior or of low status “today”:should only discuss the present (past and future may be referred to as a comparison but must not be the dominant tenses)

33. Students may compare the factors that take the corresponding ‘front seat’ when morality takes the ‘backseat’. These may include:- 1. Materialism and hedonism 2. Sexual license and debauchery 3. Criminal behavior

34. Danger:- Students should avoid the temptation to simply blame globalization for the likelihood of morality taking a backseat. Students may refer to television and its effects on morality but this should not form the main basis of their essay.

35. 7. We have bred a world of ‘little emperors and empresses’. To what extent is this true? Key words: “Little”: students should refer mainly to young “To what extent”: students must comment at where it has not happened as well as where it has happened as well as how some parents and governments avoid this occurring while others seem to allow and even encourage it. Issue: whether youths today are spoilt and this is our fault

36. 1. The vagueness of the terms ‘emperors and empresses’ - should be defined in the introduction, failing which, the essay tends to go off-track. Many in fact happily saw the term as a “fill in the blank” activity and inserted any idea that came to mind.

37. For instance, many scripts discussed materialism in children, proving beyond reasonable doubt that children are indeed materialistic. And hence conclude that we have bred a world of emperors and empresses. Throwing in the word ‘hence’ doesn’t automatically mean that you’re answering the question.

38. 2. Similarly, links are unclear mostly. Why would dual-income households result in spoilt children? The cause-effect relationship isn’t that clear-cut unless you explain the missing links

39. 3. Scripts also lack concrete evidence. Many fall into the trap of narrating what is happening. “I once saw a boy asked his maid to tie his shoelaces”. “I see children crying in toy stores.”

40. 1. Use of tense – Question asks definitely if “we HAVE bred…” But many scripts discussed if “we WILL breed”.

41. 2. Awkward stand “We have bred a world of emperors and empresses in developed countries largely; but as underdeveloped countries do not have the ability, we have not bred a world of emperors and empresses.”

42. 3. Negative connotation intended in the question not demonstrated also. Some candidates simply discussed if children are living in luxury.

43. Balancing paragraph: Yet, we have not bred an entire world of ‘little emperors and empresses’. In fact, children are having it worse off than those in the past. Hidden behind all the seemingly favourable environment mentioned above, is stress and pressure that today’s children are buried under. In a poll by The Sunday Times (Singapore), nearly half of primary school children says that they do not have enough sleep due to heavy schoolwork commitments.

44. Such commitment and the necessity to perform well academically create immense pressure for children in Singapore, who work very hard to match up to societal expectations. Furthermore, children in less developed nations are even treated like slaves.

45. The chocolates that people enjoy may be made by child slaves in African cocoa factories; our sport shoes may be made by child labourers in Indonesia; or children of poor families in India may be forced into prostitution - all these just to make ends meet. Therefore, there are children across the world who do not portray any self-centredness nor arrogance, and are in fact working very hard to survive.

46. 8. Is the importance of censorship overrated today? Key words: “Censorship”: about the control/regulation of objectionable material in society. “Overrated”: deemed more highly than it deserved Requirements: Candidate must be able to evaluate (from ‘overrated’) the importance of censorship.

47. Students may wish to bring out the point that censorship is over-rated in that it is often ineffective and is thus a waste of time – if this is the case then it has to be deemed over-rated given the amount of hype and money that goes into censorship.

48. 8. History has shown us that crime never pays. Do you agree? Key words: ‘History’: past events ‘Crime’: violation of law; a grave offense especially against morality; criminal activity ‘Never pays’: absolute term; leads to a negative consequence, has no merit (usually considered in the perspective of the perpetrator) Examiners have commented that they prefer to see ‘Do you agree?’: behind the script – one who is individual and personal. As such students would be expected at least in part, to relate their answer to their own individual values and life

49. Danger:- Some students may refer exclusively to economic gain when the question is broad and includes all types of possible gain. Students fail to discuss a range of crimes and confine themselves to Internet crimes.

50. 10. ‘Divorce has become a modern epidemic.’ Discuss. • Two key aspects of the nature of epidemics. • 1. Spreading rapidly and extensively • 2. Widely prevalent