BUKIT BATOK 4E5N SS Prelims Qn 2019

BUKIT BATOK SECONDARY SCHOOL GCE ‘O’ LEVEL PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION ACADEMIC YEAR 2019 Secondary 4 Express / 5 Normal Academic HUMANITIES 2272/01, 2273/01 Social Studies 3 September 2019 Paper 1 Tuesday Additional Materials: Writing Paper 0745 – 0930 1 hour 45 minutes CANDIDATE NAME CLASS INDEX NUMBER PARENTS’ SIGNATURE READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your name, index number and class on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the writing paper. Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction fluid. Section A Answer all parts of Question 1. Section B Answer all parts of Question 2 on a fresh page. Write all answers on the foolscap paper provided. At the end of the examination, fasten all your work securely together. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. This document consists of 6 printed pages

BBSS/MYE/4E5N/SS/2019 2 Thinking About Your Thinking - “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Sir Winston Churchill Section A (Source-based Case Study) Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. 1 Role of Government in Working for the Good of Society Study the Background Information and the sources carefully, and then answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources which you are told to use. In answering the questions, you should use your knowledge of the topic to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 (a) Study Source A. What does the Source tell you about meritocracy in the education system? [5] (b) Study Source B. Why was the source published? Explain your answer. [6] (c) Study Source C and D. Does Source D prove Source C wrong? Explain your answer. [7] (d) Study Source E. How useful is Source E in telling you about the success of meritocracy in the education system? Explain your answer. [7] (e) ‘Singapore education system has provided good education for Singaporeans.’ Using sources in this case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [10]

BBSS/MYE/4E5N/SS/2019 3 Thinking About Your Thinking - “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Sir Winston Churchill How far has meritocracy in the education system benefitted Singaporeans? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you answer some of the questions. At the international level, Singapore has a reputation for providing good, quality education. Her students frequently top the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests scores in subjects such as English, Mathematics and Science. Public education is envisioned as an enabler for a key principle in Singapore: Meritocracy. It is the belief that opportunities should be given to the most deserving, to those who strive for it and prove themselves the most capable. By providing a basic education for all, public education serves to create a fair playing field for all Singaporeans, regardless of their socio - economic (SES) backgrounds. This principle is responsible for much competitiveness in the educatio n system, and opinion is divided on whether this is beneficial or detrimental to students. Lately, there is a growing perception that the education system has only served to widen inequality in the society. Extra-curricular resources such as tuition or enr ichment classes could upset the playing field, leading students of respective SESs to be consistently funneled into respective schools. Consequently, this leads to a lack of interaction between Singaporeans of different social economic statuses Study the following sources to determine if meritocracy in the education system has brought benefits to Singaporeans.

BBSS/MYE/4E5N/SS/2019 4 Thinking About Your Thinking - “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Sir Winston Churchill Source A: A cartoon on meritocracy, a core value of the public education system in Singapore. Source B: A study published in November 2018 by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy on the state of education system in Singapore. On average, Singaporeans who live in public housing have fewer than one friend who lives in private housing. Additionally, those who attend elite schools also tend to have fewer friends in non-elite schools, and vice versa. The reason why this occurs could lie in the principle of meritocracy itself. If one succeeds, they are perceived to have worked hard. Conversely, it is assumed that if one fails, it is because of a lack of effort, and by extension, character. Source C: An extract from a webpage of Mindchamps. Mindchamps is a preschool that provides enrichment programmes for children from 18 months to 6 years old. Many parents are unsure whether competition is good for kids. However, it is clear that competition endows students with a bounty of benefits. Competition in school has been proven to nurture inquisitiveness in children. They learn how to look within themselves to find a solution rather than blame others. The pressure an d stress they experience helps children to have the aptitude from a very young age because they learn resilience and persistence. Academic Success

BBSS/MYE/4E5N/SS/2019 5 Thinking About Your Thinking - “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Sir Winston Churchill Source D: An extract from an article on South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong based newspaper, titled Singapore’s education system: streaming, stress and suicides. In 2015, there were a reported 27 suicides among 10 - to 19-year-olds in Singapore, double that of the previous year and the highest in more than a decade, according to the Samaritans of Singapore. In May 2016, an 11 -year-old boy jumped to his death from the 17th floor of a flat block, fearful of sharing his examination results with his parents. It was the first time the child had failed a subject. The problems inherent in Singapore’s education system will be familiar to Hongkongers. Both cities have large class sizes, are highly competitive, and focus on rote learning and test results, with a culture of extracurricular private tutorials. Source E: An extract from a Straits Times article featured on Jurong Pioneer Junior College (JPJC) school webpage, titled PJC student aces A levels despite financial and emotional stress. Miss Esther Tan, 18, collected her A -level results yesterday and scored As in H2 History, H1 Maths, Project Work and Chinese. She said, “I had a lot of anxiety. I had to juggle my family and my studies and there was stress from the A levels. I didn’t want what was happening to stop me from doing well. I knew that if I could get a good grade, I could land a good job and pull my family out of our current troubles.” Her father’s health had taken a turn for the worse when she was at school, plunging the family into financial difficulty. Esther, who was a class manager, said that her teachers were one of her biggest sources of support during this time. She has been awarded the teaching scholarship and will pursue history in the National University of Singapore (NUS).

BBSS/MYE/4E5N/SS/2019 6 Thinking About Your Thinking - “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Sir Winston Churchill SECTION B (Structured-Response Question) Question 2 is compulsory for all candidates. 2. Being Part of a Globalised World Study the extracts carefully, and then answer the questions. Extract 1 An important finding of the National Security Awareness Survey is that 60 per cent of Singaporeans recognised Si