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>>exac