2024 ACSI Prelim Question Paper (with Marking Scheme)

Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2024 YEAR FOUR (EXPRESS) HUMANITIES Paper 1 Social Studies (2260/01, 2261/01, 2262/01) Thursday 1 August 1 h 45 min INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES Section A is COMPULSORY. You must answer all parts of Question 1. Answer BOTH parts of Question 2 from Section B. Write your answer on the writing paper provided. INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. This question paper consists of 7 printed pages. [Turn over

2 SECTION A (Source-Based Case Study) Answer all questions. Living in a Diverse Society Study the Background Information and the sources carefully and answer all the questions. You may use any of the sources to help you answer the questions, in addition to those sources you are told to use. In answering the questions , you should use your knowledge of the issue to help you interpret and evaluate the sources. 1 Study Source A. What can you learn from the source? Explain your answer, using details of the cartoon. [5] 2 Study Sources B and C. Does Source C make Source B surprising about employing older workers? Explain your answer. [7] 3 Study Sources D and E. How similar are these two sources regarding support provided for the ageing workforce? Explain your answer. [7] 4 Study Source F. Does the source prove that it is challenging for older workers to find employment? Explain your answer. [6] 5 ‘The future of our ageing workforce looks optimistic.’ Using the sources in this case study, explain how far you would agree with this statement. [10]

3 Is there any support for ageing workforce? BACKGROUND INFORMATION Read this carefully. It may help you to answer some of the questions. Globally, 150 million jobs will shift to workers over the age of 55 by the next decade, necessitating better integration and programmes. Organizations should acknowledge these changes to the workforce by retaining and recruiting for age, reskilling older workers, and respecting their unique strengths . Older workers around the world are also likely to constitute a greater part of the workforce because people are healthier and living longer . In 2023, Singapore citizens aged 65 and above made up almost one-fifth of the population, up by more than 11 per cent from a decade ago. By 2030, almost 1 in 4 Singaporeans will be over 65. Ageing employees are knowledgeable and have commendable work ethic but there may be other things to consider like their health issues or level of digital skills. Managing an ageing workforce might come with its challenges - governments, employers, individuals and other relevant stakeholders might need to work together to achieve a long -term, sustainable infrastructure for ageing workforce. Study the sources below carefully to examine if there is support for ageing workforce. Source A: From a cartoon published in the Straits Times, December 2021.

4 Source B: From an article on the employment of older workers published in the Financial Times, a British publication, November 2021. A recent report by Age Platform Europe , a network of non -profit organisations that represents older workers, concluded that the European Union ( EU) framework still leaves older workers behind. It said rulings from European and national courts still seem to reflect “biased and outdated views” of older people’s ability to work . T he courts will allow certain exemptions if judges believe it can be “objectively and reasonably justified by a legitimate aim” — particularly where health and safety are involved. In 2010, in a case brought by German dentist Domnica Petersen, the European Court of Justice ruled that an age limit of 68 for dentists in the German health service could be justified. It accepted arguments that dentists’ skills declined with age. Source C: From an online article by Rest of World, a global non-profit publication website, May 2024. Minh, 63, had no trouble registering with ShopeeFood in Ho Chi Minh City four years ago, even though the platform has an upper age limit of 55. But with a wife and a grandchild to provide for, he is now worried about getting ousted from the platform. With the number of orders falling due to an economic slowdown and a rising number of gig workers * on the road, Minh recently tried to supplement his dwindling earnings by becoming a driver for Grab. Due to the platform’s age limit, however, he was unsuccessful. “If [ShopeeFood] lets me go because of age, then I’ll accept that, what else can I do?” Minh told Rest of World, requesting anonymity for fear of getting banned from the platform. “I could try to plead with them that I had worked for them for a long time, my health is good, I don’t break rules.” But eventually, he said, it’s the company’s call. “If they keep me, fine; if not, so be it. I’ll go hungry — I don’t know what other job I can do.” *gig work ers – people who do various short -term, freelance, or on -demand jobs, typically in the service sector. Source D: From an article “Back to work: Why South Korea's seniors are rejoining the workforce” published by CNA, May 2024. Seniors aged 65 and above make up about 19 % of South Korea's total population of almost 52 million. As life expectancy increases, there are fears the elderly will spend a longer period after retirement without income or purpose. But a new generation of liberated, independent, and often educated baby boomers are opening doors and changing perceptions. Ms Kim Nan-hyang, a 69-year-old jobseeker who has been a homemaker most of her life , approached the Seoul Senior Employment Support Centre, which was set up by the city's government, to seek professional help in her search. She told CNA that the centre has introduced her to various opportunities. An increasing number of employment centres are helping to identify companies seeking to hire seniors and offering training for those making a career switch.

5 Source E: From an article published by A*STAR on how ageing workforce can be supported, March 2024. Robots can be a promising solution to reduce the physical strain on older workers while still enabling them to contribute valuable skills and experience. Imagine robots doing physical patrols while elderly security guards in centralised control centres get a comprehensive and real -time overview of entire sites to make key security decisions, or robots helping to inspect aircrafts and buildings, allowing their elderly counterparts to take on a supervisory role of recommending targeted maintenance or repairs. To make it easier for aged Singaporean workers to fully embrace robots and reap the benefits of working alongside them, [A*STAR seeks to] transform robots beyond mere mechanical tools to become more human -like in the way they move, sense and interact with the world. A*STAR - Agency for Science, Technology And Research – a statutory board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore which supports R&D. Source F: Extracted from a press release published in a website by AARP Foundation, an interest group in America, June 2024. A major government contractor has intentionally discriminated against older jobseekers and harmed their employment prospects for years, according to a lawsuit filed in a federal court in Boston by AARP* Foundation. Its lawyers allege that Raytheon, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies, has refused to hire workers for many positions unless the applicants are recent graduates, which prevented the vast majority of qualified older applicants from obtaining or competing for those jobs