JPJC 2026 Prelim P2

Name: _________________________________ Class: _____________ JURONG PIONEER JUNIOR COLLEGE JC2 Preliminary Examination 2026 GENERAL PAPER 8881/02 Higher 1 14 September 2026 Paper 2 1 hour 30 minutes INSERT READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your name and class in the spaces provided above. This Insert contains the passages for Paper 2. This document consists of 4 printed pages.

2 Passage 1. An author writes about the advantages of helicopter parenting. 1 Helicopter parents are as ubiquitous as reward stickers and untied shoelaces. Some arrive for Meet the Teacher Night an hour early; others attend kindergarten orientation ready to map out a path into the Gifted Programme. They linger at classroom doors each morning, checking, prompting, ensuring everything is just right. Taken together, these behaviours reflect a broader pattern of close parental involvement that places children under relentless pressure to excel, often causing them to grow into anxious adolescents, dependent young adults and risk-averse adults. 5 2 Yet the experience is not uniform. Some children, whose parents work full -time and are rarely present at school, observe this involvement with a mix of curiosity and envy. They watch classmates whose parents are constantly in touch with teachers or present at school events and wonder what that level of attention might feel like. At the same time, those same classmates sometimes describe them as “lucky” — free to do as they please without constant parental oversight. 10 3 In an era when many feel alienated from institutions, neighbours, and even family, it may be worth reconsidering whether this heightened connection between parents and children also offers certain benefits. After all, parents began parenting this way for good reasons. Many were reacting against the free -form, unbounded childhoods they themselves experienced, where they faced daily risks and prolonged uncertainty without consistent guidance. Because their parents were often reluctant to address topics such as relationships, risk -taking, or difficult life choices, they turned instead to their peers for information, which was often incomplete or misleading. As a result, some grew up feeling unseen. 15 20 4 While helicopter parenting has its flaws, it also offers advantages. For one, these children know they have a safety net, allowing them to take risks and learn from failure. Unlike previous generations, who often had to cope with setbacks on their own, the y can experiment with greater confidence. Extended parental support also gives many young adults more time to mature before assuming greater responsibility. This is reflected in the trend of delayed transitions into adulthood: studies show that in 2023, ne arly one in five adults aged 25 to 34 were still living with their parents. Such patterns suggest that sustained parental support contribute s to a more gradual path towards independence. Moreover, helicopter parenting may also foster a greater sense of community and connectedness. In turn, children may grow up valuing close familial ties. 25 30 5 The benefits of close parental involvement extend beyond providing emotional assurance. It can also encourage children to engage in a wider range of activities and opportunities that they might not have pursued on their own. While this may sometimes result in overscheduling, it also exposes them to new experiences that broaden their perspec tives and help them discover their interests and strengths. Engaging in unfamiliar or challenging activities can build resilience, persistence, and self -awareness, enabling them to make more informed decisions about their future education and careers. 35 6 A parent is a child's first teacher, first role model and first advocate . As parents and members of society, we must reflect on how our actions shape children’s growth, ensuring that in supporting them, we also leave room for independence to develop. 40

3 Passage 2. A writer examines the cost of over-parenting. 1 Children in the 1960s and 1970s enjoyed far greater independence, often spending long periods unsupervised. By contrast, children today grow up in structured, closely supervised environments with constant parental oversight. This shift away from independen t play reflects a broader trend with significant consequences. Psychologist Peter Gray, a research professor at Boston College who has spent decades studying play, described this shift in vivid terms. He explained that from the 1960s onward, there has been a continuous and measurable decline in children’s opportunitie s to play freely, away from adult intervention and control. As opportunities for independent play decline, children have fewer chances to develop an internal locus of control—the belief that they can influence outcomes—making them more vulnerable to anxiety and depression. 5 10 2 Studies indicate that children who engage in independent play learn to regulate their emotions, negotiate social hierarchies, and tolerate frustration. These skills develop because there is no adult immediately stepping in to intervene. In contrast, consta nt supervision reduces opportunities for such growth. As a result, children today may feel capable of navigating structured environments such as school but lack the confidence to deal effectively with the unpredictability of the real world. They may also become increasingly reliant on external direction and reassurance, seeking validation before acting on their own judgement. 15 3 Another important aspect of independent activity is boredom. The ability to tolerate boredom is a skill that develops through experience. In environments shaped by over -parenting, children are often provided with constant stimulation and structured engagem ent, leaving little room for deep, restless, nothing-to-do boredom that forces their brains to generate their own entertainment. As a result, this limits the development of creativity and reduces their ability to become comfortable with their own thoughts, ultimately hindering their capacity for self-directed growth. 20 25 4 The issue, then, is not neglect but balance. By constantly stepping in, excessive parental involvement may deprive children of the opportunities to develop the capacity to direct their own lives.

4 Passage 3. Pamela Druckerman argues that hyper -involved parenting is the route to children’s success in today’s unequal world. 1 Psychologists, sociologists and journalists have spent more than a decade critiquing “helicopter parents” and their school obsessions, arguing that hyper -parenting creates stressed-out children who cannot function independently. Parents themselves often fe el guilty, anxious and even ridiculous. Yet new research suggests that in an unequal era, this kind of parenting can bring significant benefits. 5 2 Analyses of the 2012 PISA, which assessed 15 -year-olds worldwide, found that an “intensive parenting style” is associated with higher academic performance. Parents who adopt an authoritative approach —combining high expectations with reasoning, guidance and emotional support—tend to achieve better outcomes. They cultivate adaptability and problem-solving within a structured environment. Instead of fostering unquestioning obedience, such parenting encourages children to think critically about the values they have inherited. 10 3 So why wouldn’t everyone just become an authoritative parent? Obviously, not all families can adopt this approach. Working-class parents may lack the time or resources to provide such support and may prioritise discipline suited to di