2021 KS BULL Issue 1 (RI)

KS Bull 2021 | Issue 1 © Raffles Institution  Unauthorised copying, sharing & distribution prohibited  1    KS Bull 2021  Issue 1  The  views  expressed  in  each  essay  are  purely  for  the  academic  purposes  of  crafting  a  viable  argumentative  response. They do not necessarily reflect the personal opinions of any student or staff member, nor do they  necessarily represent the perspective(s) of Raffles Institution.    No portion of this collection may be reproduced or  shared for any reason and by any means whatsoever.

KS Bull 2021 | Issue 1 © Raffles Institution  Unauthorised copying, sharing & distribution prohibited  2    CONTENTS 2020 Year 6 GP Prelim | Paper 1 1 Is it true that your society has done little to address the problem of mental health? Wong Chia Ying | 20S03C 4 2 ‘As long as economic goals remain a priority, the environment is a lost cause.’ Comment. Cai Shimin | 20S06N 8 3 ‘Race has no place in politics today.’ How far do you agree? Heng Wei Kiat | 20S06O 11 4 ‘In today’s world, only scientific research with practical value is worth funding.’ Discuss. Chen Haoyang | 20S06O 14 5 ‘In today’s world, only scientific research with practical value is worth funding.’ Discuss. Liu Kaizhong | 20S03C 17 2020 Year 6 GP Prelim | Paper 2 6 Paper 2 – Passage 20 7 Paper 2 – AQ Response Wei Li Lin Lily | 20S03C 22

KS Bull 2021 | Issue 1 © Raffles Institution  Unauthorised copying, sharing & distribution prohibited  3    2021 Year 6 GP Timed Practice 1 | Paper 1 8 ‘Handicrafts no longer have any practical benefits in modern society.’ Comment. Karen Lee Chen Xi | 21S05A 24 9 ‘It is harder than ever for voters to make the right choices in elections today.’ Discuss. Andre Tristan Keh | 21S06J 28 10 ‘It is harder than ever for voters to make the right choices in elections today.’ Discuss. Navin Sivakumar | 21A01A 32 11 ‘International organisations are ineffective at resolving conflict.’ To what extent do you agree? Teoh Ning | 21A13A 36 12 ‘Pop music has no value beyond being a source of entertainment.’ What is your view? Koo ii | 21S05A 40 13 ‘Pop music has no value beyond being a source of entertainment.’ What is your view? Loi Zi Xian | 21S03D 44 14 How far would you agree that technological progress has done more harm than good for gender equality? Snehal Sachde | 21S07C 48 15 ‘People, rather than the govern ment, should be responsible for their own well-being.’ Comment. Lee Yan Ern, Kathlyn | 21S07C 51 Editorial Team 55

KS Bull 2021 | Issue 1 © Raffles Institution  Unauthorised copying, sharing & distribution prohibited  4    1 2020 | Y6 | GP Prelim | Paper 1 Wong Chia Ying | 20S03C Is it true that your society has done little to address the problem of mental health?   ‘Suicides in Singapore up 10% last year , record high for bo ys…’ This was the newspaper headline that emerged on loca l media just weeks ago to the shock and apprehension of many netizens. With a majority of the suicide cases believed to have also been suffering from a form of mental illness, this newest number is the latest among a series of statistical trends that highlight the growing mental health problem in Singapore. With a 2016 Singapore mental health study confirmi ng that 1 in 7 in Singapore will experience a mental disorder in one’s lifetime, the urgency of the problem is tangibly felt by citizens an d policymakers alike. Because the issue is relatively new, many believe that our soci ety has not made much effort to stem the problem, thus contributing to the rising trend of cases. However, I believe it must be acknowledged that while more can be done to bolster our efforts to not only tackle poor mental health, but also support those with mental health conditions, our society has made considerable effort to address the issue on a state, community and individual level. Proponents of the opposing claim argue Singapore has done little to tackle the problem of mental health on the grounds that stigmatisation of mental health issues still persist in the current da y. In a published study by the Institute of Mental Health Singapore, 75% of respondents agreed wi th the statement that they would feel ashamed of telling their family members if they had a mental illness, and this reflects the dominant entrenched mindset in Singapore that labels mental health problems as a sign of personal weakness and failing rather than a medical condition that often originates from a complex range of factors. The existence of such a stigma is arguably evidence that prevailing efforts have been insignificant in truly addressing the problem. On top of this, MediSave’s and MediShield Life’s disproportionate limits on physical health coverage as opposed to mental health treatments further signal to the public that mental health ma y not be regarded as equally im portant as tangible and visible physical ailments. A statement by Nominated Member of Parliament Ms Anthea Indira Ong at the start of the year cited how poor accessibility to affordable psychiatric treatment in Singapore relegates those with mental health conditions to wait an average of 28 days just for one consultati on session, which delays their process of

KS Bull 2021 | Issue 1 © Raffles Institution  Unauthorised copying, sharing & distribution prohibited  5    recovery. Clearly, then, taking into account the inadequate support rendered to those with mental health conditions, coupled with entrenched stigmatisation against mental illnesses, those who take the opposing stand say little has been done to address the problem of mental health. While it is true structural issues like affordability and accessibility to mental healthcare form barriers to help-seeking behaviour, which might impede our society’s ability to address the problem head on, it must be acknowledged that while specific systems still have shortcomings, the very fact this issue was raised in parliament, supported by research Ms Ong’s team had collated over the past year , shows that considerable resources have been expende d to gain a better under standing on the issue. Furthermore, stigmatisation is a symptom of deeply rooted cognitive biases and mindsets that are a result of societal values and upbringing – these are intangible forces that take years to change. Hence it would be simplistic to conclude little has been done to address the problem based on the fact a problem still exists. In fact, there has been a tremendous surge in efforts in recent years to slowly but surely address wellness in Singapore. On a governmental level, preventive steps have been taken to enhance the quality and accessibility of mental heal th education in Si ngapore. Minister Indranee Rajah just announced last year that the Character and Citizenshi p Education curriculum will expand to include key concepts on mental health literacy in 2021. To enhance these efforts, the Ministry of Education engagement team has organised numerous dialogues and programmes like ‘What’s Your Take – Youth Edition’, which encourages like- minded youths passionate about mental health to offer th eir insights and implement new solutions, with up to $3000 of funding for projects, On top of this, MOE will also develop comprehensive peer support stru ctures in all sch ools by 2022. These unprecedented nationwide changes make Singapore one of the first countries in the world to provide compulsory mental health education to its students. Equipping students with the necessary kn owledge and skills to not only exercise self-care, but also extend the same compassion outwards towards their peers in an effort to promote one another’s wellbeing is a crucial effort in tackling the mental health problem. Knowledge students le arn, like the symptoms of mental health conditions to look o