Holy Innocents' High School 4E5N SS Prelim 2019 Question Paper

HOLY INNOCENTS’ HIGH SCHOOL Name of Student Class Index Number PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2019 SECONDARY 4 EXPRESS and 5 NORMAL ACADEMIC HUMANITIES SOCIAL STUDIES 2272/01, 2273/01 Date : 27 Aug 2019 Duration: 1 hr 45 min Time : 0800 - 0945 Additional Materials: 5 pieces of writing paper READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your name, class and index number on all the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black pen. Do not use staples, paper clips, glue or correction tape/fluid. Section A Answer all parts of Question 1. Section B Answer all parts of Question 2. Write all answers on the writing paper provided. At the end of the examination, hand in Section A and Section B separately. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. Set by : Ms Perng Jia Wei Vetted by : Mr Clement Chua This document consists of 6 printed pages (including cover page). 50

2 SECTION A (Source-Based Case Study) (35 marks) Question 1 is compulsory for all candidates. 1 Living in a Diverse 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 u se your knowledge of the issue to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. (a) Study Source A. What is the cartoonist’s attitude towards the relationship between SES and a child’s educational opportunities ? Explain your answer, using details of the source. [5] (b) Study Sources B and C. Do the authors of these two sources agree? Explain your answer. [7] (c) Study Source D. How surprised are you by this source? Explain your answer. [7] (d) Study Source E. Do you believe source E in telling you about the effects of SES on education ? Explain your answer. [6] (e) Study all sources. “SES can limit a child’s educational opportunities.” Using sources from this case study, how far would you agree with this statement? [10]

3 Does socio-economic status (SES) affect a child’s educational opportunities in Singapore? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. In a meritocratic society like Singapore, higher levels of education are generally linked to a higher income, a more comfortable life and better access to healthcare resources. Education plays a significant role as it determines how one can achieve financi al and social independence in their adult life. However, over time, greater levels of competition has led many to question if educationa l qualifications have been over -emphasised. It is common to see and hear of Singaporean students having their evening and weekend schedules packed with tuition and enrichment classes, as parents hope to give their children an advantage over their peers. Yet, these additional resources require certain fin ancial abilities from families. A s a result, many Singaporeans have questioned about whether this creates social inequality , where only those with more access to financial resources can afford to groom their children academically. This in turn gives them more opportunities to succeed. In response, Ministry of Education (MOE), has increased their investment in education. Through subsidies, bursaries and financial assistance schemes awarded to students who come from lower SES background, the goal is to ease the financial stress these families face , and to ensure that the SES of a child does not affect their educational opportunities. Study the following sources to find out whether SES affects a child’s educational opportunities in Singapore. Source A: A cartoonist’s view on the education system today. Money bills stacked to create steps Student A Student B the sad truth…

4 Source B: An excerpt from an article from Today online, titled ‘Singapore has highest gaps in sense of belonging at school between students of different socio -economic statuses: Report’, published on 23 October 2018. Associate Professor Jason Tan from the National Institute of Education (NIE) comments that there is evidence to suggest that there is a “disproportionat e percentage of high SES students who tend to be enrolled in ‘more prestigious secondary schools’, and the reverse is also true .” The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD)* report highlighted a trend from earlier reports that students from better socio -economic backgrounds tended to perform better at the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa). “Hence, disadvantaged students attending disadvantaged schools ar e… doubly disadvantaged as they strive for achievement,” the report added. “Disadvantaged schools” refers to schools in the bottom 25 per cent of the national distribution, based on the average SES levels of students in the schools. *OECD is an international organisation that works to shape policies to address a range of social, economic and environmental challenges. Source D: A parent’s response to the effects of SES on education in Singapore. What I want to say is this – do not be hung up on the idea that you must be wealthy or live in private property for your child to succeed in school. If you have this mindset and rub it off on your children, it may cause itself to become true. I am a heartlander from the working class. My children are not academically very bright, but they managed to get into the Integrated Programme (IP) through the strategy I have outlined: - showing an interest in learning how the education system works; - thinking proactively to develop a strategy and path; and - devoting time and effort to realise that strategy. If my children can do it, there are many others out there who can too. Source C: An excerpt of an interview with a director of MOE’s planning division, in response to the abovementioned report by OECD. In Singapore’s context, all our schools are well-resourced by international standards. Therefore, our lower -SES students in what OECD termed as ‘disadvantaged schools’ are actually not worse-off in terms of resources provided to them. Nevertheless, MOE has been monitoring the trend and is concerned about the slow creeping up of the disproportionate distribution. The ministry regularly reviews the admissions processes and students’ total educational experience to ensure our schools do not become closed circles, and that our students continue to have opportunities to interact with people from diverse backgrounds.

5 Source E: A research study done by Ms Ong Xiang Ling, a Singapore Children's Society research officer, and Dr Cheung Hoi Shan, a post -doctoral fellow at the N ational University of Singapore (NUS), published in The Straits Times, published in June 2016. Children from higher socio -economic backgrounds are more likely to attend Integrated Programme (IP) secondary schools and their affiliated primary schools, as well as those that offer the Gifted Education Programme (GEP). This was a key finding of a recent study that examined class differences in schools and if students from different schools had different levels of educational aspirations. Dr Cheung said, “we see SES differences in secondary schools as well , where entry is supposed to be determined in large part by the children's results in the PSLE. Entry is not about distance or alumni associations, yet we also see marked SES differences in elite secondary schools. So it may point to a perpetuation – if you started off with high SES, chances are because you have more resources, you are better prepared for PSLE, so you are more likel