2010 RI GP Common Test 2 Markers Report

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Markers’ Report. RI_Y6_GP_CT2_2010 1 1. Can having too much knowledge in today’s world be dangerous? Thiswasnotapopularquestion.Thosewhoattemptedthisquestiongaveratherparochial answersanddidnotscore. Inordertocomeupwithanin-depthanswer,onehas todefine‘toomuchknowledge’inthe contextofhowandwhyitis‘dangerous’. Needtodefineknowledge,andwhatismeantbydangerous. Dangerous-ignorance,misconceptions,informationthatcanharm,misapplication Studentscanrefertodifferenttypesof knowledge–thatgainedfromschool,fromlife experience,fromtheInternetas wellasscientificKnowledge,privateinformationetc… Anotherimportantwordtokeepinmindis‘today’sworld’.Whichworldareyoureferringto? Westernworld,Muslimworld(Afghanistan),India/Chinaetc…knowledge-basedeconomy? Whatonedoes withtheknowledgeisalsoimportant. As forstructure,onecouldtakeontheimpactknowledgehasonthepolitical,social,economic andscientificaspects Waronterrorism-dependingonwhomyouare,knowledgecanbedangerous.Toolittle knowledgeonterrorism canbeaproblem.Youunderestimatethestrengthofthesegroupsas howUSAhaddonebefore9/11.StudentscanalsodiscussthePatriotAct,wheretheUSAgovt hastherighttocertainprivateknowledgewithregardstothethreatofTerrorism.Isthis appropriateordangerous?Ontheotherhand,knowledgeinthehandsoftheseterroristgroups canbedeadly.Thustheneedtocurtailwhattheyknowandtopreventthespreadof knowledge onfundamentalbeliefs. Ontheotherhand,nothavingenoughknowledgecanbedangerousas itcanleadtocultural Ignorance–InmulticulturalsocietieslikeSingaporeorforthatmatterinaglobalworldtoday, beingignorantofotherracesandculturecanhavegreatbacklash.Forexample,racial antagonismbasedonignoranceandstereotyping.Historyhasshownhowignorancehasbeen usedasastrategyforpowerplay–egcolonialism,apartheidetc…wheretheWesternworldhad createdacultureofdependencyonthemselves bypromotingthemselvesastheexpertsinall fieldsfrompoliticstoculturewhilesuffocatingthe‘Other’asignorantandpoor. Povertyisassociatedwithlackofeducation=lackofknowledge.Thus knowledgeseemstobe theanswer tosomeproblems,egwomen’supwardmobilityisaresultofknowingtheirrights etc…,importanceofchildrenreceivingeducationisimportant,tobeknowledgeableabout safeguardingoneselffromillnessesanddiseases likeHIV,TBetc… Knowledgebasedeconomy-importanttokeepabreastwiththeworld.Risingeconomieslike IndiaandChina-needtobeknowledgeableabouttheseculturesinordertodobusinesswith themetc… Scientificknowledge–isimportant.Weneedtoknowhowscienceandtechnologyfunctionsand inordertomakeethicaldecisions,weneedtobeknowledgeable.Example,what’shappeningto theenvironment,medicalalternativesavailabletous.Asthisispartofourlives,weneedtobe

Raffles Institution 2010 Year 6 Common Test 2 Markers’ Report. RI_Y6_GP_CT2_2010 2 awareandnotsimplyleaveittotheexpertsandscientist.However,knowledgethatcancause harmmustbekeptclearof,eghowtomakebombs,destructiveweaponsetc…knowledgeon cloning(controversial). Adistinctionbetweenfactsandknowledge,betweenknowledgeandwisdommightbeuseful. Students