GP essay outlines for release

em1:Socia issue(inc educatio) Qn1)Considertheviewthatmeritocracyhasworsenedinequalityinyourcountry.Q:Cause-effectD:meritocracyhasworsenedinequalityinSGvsMeritocracyhasNOTworsenedinequalityinSGK:Meritocracy—rewarding/creditingsomeonefortheworkdonethroughone’sowneffort/merit● Politicalsystemwheregoods/services/politicalpowerisgrantedto/vestedinindividualsbasedonmeritandtalent/achievementratherthanwealthorsocialstatusWorsened—toexacerbatedifferences;createlargerriftsinthiscontext● Madelessadvantageous/increaseddiscrimination/aggravatesocialinequalitiesInequality—differentcircumstances(egsocialstatus/standing/class)● unequaldistributionofresourcesamongmembersofasociety(usuallytherichstandtogainmorethanthepoor)C:Singaporehasalwaysbaseditselfonthevalueofmeritocracy, wherepeoplewillbeawardedsuccessaccordingtotheirownmeritinsteadofthroughbribery/familyconnections.● Singapore:globalised,competitive,fastpaced,knowledge-basedeconomy,highcostoflivingwmoderatewelfaresocialsupport Singaporeansocietyhaslongprideditselfbasedonthevaluesofequalityandmeritocracy, whichhasimprovedthelivesofSingapoeansdecadesafterindependence.(Backgroundinfo)Indeed,thepoliticalsystemwherepowerisvestedinindividualswhohaveworkedhardhasseeneverydaySingaporeansriseuptheranksintheirrespectivefieldsandbecomenotablefiguresontheworldstage.Meritocracyhasalsoprovidedalevelplayingfieldforeveryone,regardlessofrace,gender, orsocialclasstohavethesameopportunitiestoachievesuccessintheirownright.(Supportingpoints)However, inreality, noteveryone’sinnatetalenthasbeendulyrecognisedbythemeritocraticsystem.Thosewhohavepreviouslybenefitedfromthemeritocraticsystemarenowleveragingitinordertoprovidetheirchildrenwithaheadstarttotheireducationjourney, somethingthosewhodidnotbenefitfromthesystemcanprovidetheirchildrenwith.(Opposingpoints)Thisexposestheimbalanced“startingpoints”ofchildrenwhichhasexacerbateddifferencesbetweenpeopleofdifferentsocialclasses,achievingtheexactoppositeofwhatmeritocracywassupposedtodo—ensureequality. Hence,inmyopinion,theeffectivenessofameritocraticsysteminSingaporehasbeendiminisheddueto

changingsocialstatusesofcitizens,resultinginthewideninggapbetweentherichandpoorlocally. (Thesisstatement) reason#1 reason#2 MeritocracyworsenedinequalityinSG parentswhohavestable/successfuljobsthatpaywell>>leveragethattogivetheirchildrenaheadstartineducationsothattheywillbemoresuccessfulthanthemwhentheygrowup.Asaresult,childrenmayhavedifferentheadstartsinlife,somemayhavemoreextracurricularclassesthanothersbecausetheirparentscanafford>>setupforsuccess.However, childrenofthosewhodonotearnasmuchdonothavetheprivilegeofenjoyingtheheadstartintheireducationjourney>>childrenbeginatdifferentstartingpointsunliketheirparentswhomoreorlessstartedoutthesame>>INEQUALITYineducation(somecanaffordtuition,academicallyaheadofthosew/otuitioninschool) Thosewhoarealreadysuccessfulcancapitaliseontheirwealthtoenableprogeny(children)toentereliteschoolsinsg>>betterheadstartinhighly-competitivesg>>increasinglyunequalsystem>>exacerbatesthegapbetweentherichandpoorinsociety/createlargerriftsinsociety/wallsthatwecannotbreakdown NotallneighbourhoodschoolshavetheresourcestosetupnicheCCAs(eg. Meritocraticeducationsystemonlyrecognizescertaingifts/talentsamongstudents(egacademictalent)>>otherstudentswhoarenotacademicallystrongbutaregiftedinotherareasmayloseoutintermsofreceivingcertainscholarships/bursariesormaynotbeabletoenteran“eliteschool”becausetheirPSLEscoreisnotgoodenough>>thosewhoarenotacademicallyinclinedmayfindithardtomakealivinginSingaporeaswellasthejobstheyarepassionate/interestedindonotpayaswellasjobsthatrequirehighqualifications>>havetofightforsuccessorgainthesamesocialstandingasothers Meritocraticeducationsystemonlyrecognizesnarrowsetoftalents>>economicrewards/opportunitiesgiventothosewhopossessdesirabletalents(espinthetechsectorsinceSGisaverytech-drivensociety)>>discriminatesagainstthosewholacksuchspecifictalents Eg.Studentswthebestacademicresultsareabletoentertheeliteschools(rewardingacademicexcellence)>>goontowinprestigiousscholarshipswithtopuniversitiesbothlocallyandinternationallythatcovereducationcostsandguaranteesastablecareeraftergraduation>>FASTTRACKCAREERSthatallowthemtoquicklyriseuptheranksofthecompanytheyare

Coding,gymnastics)>>studentsnotexposedtothesporttheyarekeenonorcanleverageonwhentheyDSAtosecondary/tertiaryeducation>>spendmoneyandtimetogoforextralessonsoutsideofschool,aresourcenoteveryonehas(esplowerincomegrps)>>differenceinexposurestartingfrmprisch>>meritocracyisnolongeraboutmeritandtalent,butratherifone’sparentshavetheresourcestohelpthechildbeaheadofothers workingfor>>highremuneration(rewards,iesalary)>>enjoyhigherqualityoflifeascomparedtothosewhoarenotrecognizedbytheeducationsystembecausetheydonotpossessthosedesirabletraits>>havetofightforsuccessinthiscompetitivesociety MeritocracyhasNOTworsenedinequalityinSG Awardsthosewhoputinthehardworktostrivetosucceedoneday. Inthepast,meritocracyintheformofscholarshipsorbursarieswasthekeytobreakingthecycleofpovertyformanyfamiliesinSingapore.afewrenownedscholarsandpoliticians/notablefiguresachievedtheirsuccesstodaybecauseofscholarshipsthatallowedthemtofurthertheirstudieswhentheywereyounger stepsbeingtakentoincreasediversificationofstudentintakeinSG’stopeliteschoolssuchasRI.theseinclude:- waivingthemonthlyschoolfeefrom>$300/monthto25/monthforlowandmiddleincomefamiliesMeritocraticsystemallowseveryoneregardlessofrace,religion,gender, orsocialclassequalopportunitiestobecomesuccessfulandcompeteonalevelplayingfield>>SOCIALMOBILITY

Qn2)“itisimportanttofosterasenseofbelongingtoone’scountry.”Howfaristhistrueintoday’sworld?Q: simplepolarityD: impttofostersenseofbelongingvsnotimportantK: important—critical;vital;instrumentalone’snationalidentityFoster—nurture/developrootednesstocountry(patriotism)Senseofbelonging:connectednesstoacommunity/groupC: globalisedworldwchangingvaluesandsocietalnorms,pivotalthatacitizensofacountrystickstoitsnationalvalues/identitysothatthereisasenseofdirectionforfuturedevelopment Reason#1: Reason#2: remarks impttofostersenseofbelonging volatileanduncertainworldtodaywmanyglobalcrisestakingplace>>imptforppltobeconnectedwiththenationsothatthecountrycanovercomeanythingtogetherandemergestrongerasanationUkraine—in2022,whenrussiainvadedukraine,Ukrainianscametogethertodefendtheircountryagainstthosewhoinvadedthem>>fosterssenseofbelongingandloyaltytoUkraine ● SG:meltingpot,multi-racial/religiouscountryachievedthroughdecadesofnation-building,commonspaces,experiencesandmemories>>bindssgeanstgt>>senseofbelonging● USA:splitamongrepublicansand shapesone’sidentityasacitizenofthecountry>>morelikelytostayandcontributetonationsdevelopmentratherthanmigratetosomewhereelse>>braindrain diversityinacountrydoesnotleadtodisharmony>>citizensfeelincludedinalargercommunityinanincreasinglypolarisedworld.Fracturedbydifferences Pt2:Inclusivitywhereeveryonefeelsliketheybelongherepreventsbraindrain>>essentialforacountrytoflourisheconomically● Malaysia:about1millionworkerscometoSGtoworkduetotheincentiveofhigherpay>>duetolackofefforttocreateasenseof

democratswhodon'tseeeyetoeyeonmostissues>>supportersofbothsidespushforwhattheyconsidertheidealamericansociety>>fracturedamerica>>nosenseofbelonging belongingtothecountry.Certainpoliticalideologiesalsohighlightthefactthatsomecommunitiesdontbelonghere>>MalaysianchineseandindiansmorelikelytocontributetoHUMANCAPITALFLIGHT>>stuntseconomy notimportantotherplaceshavebetteropportunitiesfordevelopmentofcareer(egpay, careerprogression)whichattractsyoungtalentthere countryplaguedwithissuesandhencecitizensmaynotfeelproudiftheyidentifiedthemselveswithsuchacountry/government toomuch—‘us’vs‘them’mentalityorevenextremism>>xenophobia,racism,discriminatorypractices(seeHitler, Putin,Trump) Materialisticworld—senseofbelongingwillnotincentivise/drive/fuel ppltostayandsucceedinthecountry senseofbelongingtoacountryisIncreasinglyirrelevantinahighlyglobalisedandinterconnectedworld

Qn3)Shouldyoungpeopleinyoursocietybeinvolvedinissuesofnationalinterest?Q: simplepola