Prelim2Paper1MarkingGuide.docx

Prelim2Paper1MarkingGuide.docx

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Prelim2Paper1MarkingGuide

InnovaJuniorCollege

GeneralPaper

PreliminaryExaminations2

Paper1MarkingGuide

1.Honestyisbecominganunrealisticexpectationoftoday’smedia.Doyouagree?

BasicRequirements

∙Studentsmustbeabletoacknowledgetheopinionthatthemediaisexpectedtoconformtoasetofethicalstandardssuchasobjectivereporting,notbeingbeholdentoothers,befactuallyaccurateetc.withreferencetothenewsitreports.

∙Theremustalsobesomecomparisonsmadebetweentheethicalstandardsofmediaofthepastandoftoday.Theymustseetheimplicitassumptionthatthemediaoftodayislessthantrustworthy.

∙Studentsmustanalysethetruthofthestatementinthecontextofrecentnewsevents（eg.Murdoch&NewsoftheWorld）,technologicaldevelopments（socialmedia,STOMP&citizenjournalism）,sensationalism（tabloidjournalism）andadvertisingtrends（spindoctors,whitewashing&manipulationofinformation）.

∙Essaycannotbeamerelistofexamplesofdishonestpracticesbythemedia.

Higherorder

∙Studentsmustbeabletoprovidebalanceintheformofexampleswherethemediacontinuestoupholdfactual,unbiasedreporting.

∙Betterstudentswillbeabletoaddressthedistinctionbetweenhonestyintermsofobjectfactsandhonestyintermsofhowthenewsisactuallyacquired.（eg.phone-hackingscandal）

∙Theywillbeabletopointoutthatmediaislargelymotivatedbyprofitandismerelyaddressingitsaudiencebyuppingthesensationalistquotient.

∙Studentsmightpointouttheinherentflawwithpunditry,whichisoftenreducedtoafalsedichotomyinordertoprojectanimageoffairness.Eg.creationismvsevolution,liberalvsconservative.

∙Somewillalsobeabletolinkmuchofthemainstreammediatopropagandaandbias,eitheralongpoliticaloreconomiclines.Theideaofcitizenjournalismaslessbiasedduetoalackoftiestocorporationsorgovernmentcanalsobetouchedon.

∙Theywillalsobeabletociteashiftfromobjectivitytosubjectivity（eg.embeddedreporting）toeffectgreatersocialchange.Thathonesty（orobjectivity）isnolongerasimportantintoday’stumultuousworld,assubjectivity（orfavouringstyleoverfact/gonzojournalism）mightbemoreadequatetogarnerpopularsupportforsocialcauses.

STAND:

Althoughthemedia–bothmainstreamandnew-nolongerasawholefulfiltheironce-hallowedroleasthefourthestate,andsocietyhascalledintoquestionboththereliabilityandethicsofitsreporting,itwouldbelargelyprematuretosaythathonestyisnolongerarealisticexpectationofthepresstoday.

TS1:

Mostmediacompaniestodaybelongtolargecorporations,forwhomprofitistheultimatemotive.Assuch,manyso-calledneutralandfairnewsorganisationsarebeholdentothesecorporations,andwhilenotexactlypublishinglies,mightdeliberatelywithholdorself-censorinordernottooffendtheirfinancialbenefactors.

TS2:

Facedwithanincreasinglycompetitivemedialandscape,manynewsorganisationshaveunfortunatelyhadtopandertothelowestcommondenominatoraswellasconductlessthanethicalnews-gathering,intheformofgutterjournalismandsensationalism.

TS3:

Inapoliticallyinsecureworldbesetbyterrorismandideologicalstrife,therightofthepublictoknowaboutgovernmentdoingshasbeenoftensidelinedintheinterestofnationalsecurity,totheextentofpropagandamanufacturedbythemedia.

TS4:

Despitethefactorslaidoutabove,theover-ridingvalueofnewspapersandtheirlikelieslargelyintheirtrustworthiness,andamediaorganisationclearlyguiltyofhypocrisywouldnotstayinbusinessverylong.

TS5:

IncreasingaccesstotheInternetanditsmyriadpublishingtoolshasledtothedemocratisationofthemedia,leadingtoanincreasingmultitudeofperspectivesonthesamepieceofnews,whichinturnreducestheincentivefornewsorganisationstofabricatetheirreporting.

2.Violenceisneverjustifiableinthefightforpoliticalfreedom.Comment.

BasicRequirements

∙Studentsmustbeabletoaddresstheabsolutenatureofthephrase‘neverjustifiable’byacknowledgingthatviolencemayactuallysometimesbenecessaryintheachievementofpoliticalfreedom.

∙Theywillacknowledgetheideathatanyformofviolenceorbloodshedisunacceptable,nomatterwhatisatstake,thoughtheymustbeabletodisagree.

∙StudentsshouldbeabletomentionactualexamplesofpoliticalconflictsuchasthedifferentstagesoftheArabSpring,theSriLankanconflict,theTroublesinNorthIreland,Tibet’sattemptsatsecession,aswellastheon-goingPalestinian-Israeliconflict.

∙Politicalfreedomsmustalsoextendtofundamentalhumanrights,suchastherighttoexpression,therighttoeducation,therighttogainfulemploymentandsoon.ExamplesincludetheBattleofSeattlein1999,therecentThaiunrest,2010Londonriotovertuitionfees.

∙Allexamplesmustbeappropriatetothecontextofpoliticalfreedoms-atthelevelwhereviolenceisactuallyarealissue-nothingsobanalastherighttogoodserviceandtherighttoluxuryandsoon.

∙Essaymustnotmerelybealistofpolitical-motivatedconflictswithoutaddressingtherelationshipbetweenviolenceandfreedom.

Higherorder

∙Balancemustbegivenwithsomeattempttoshowhowpoliticalfreedomcanalsobeattainedwithnon-violentmovements.

∙Studentswillbeabletoarticulatetheideathatfreedomcomesindegrees,andbeabletocomparethatwithcorrespondinglevelsofviolence.

∙Doespoliticalfreedomentailtotalindependenceormerelymorerights/liberation?

Thereshouldbeawiderrangeofexamplesgivensuchastheinclusionofnon-violentmovementssuchasGandhi’snon-violentresistanceagainsttheBritishEmpire,aswellasthelong-sufferingAungSanSuuKyi.

∙Goodstudentswillbeabletoeitherintelligentlyargueashortperiodofbloodshedispreferabletonever-endingoppression,thoughexactlythedefinitionof‘short’willrequiresomeelaboration.

∙Theextentofviolencecanservetobringgreaterattentiontothecausebeingfoughtfor,andthusbebetterjustified.

3.Considertheviewthatprofitwillalwaysimpacteducationnegatively.

BasicRequirements

∙Studentsmustacknowledgetheabsolutenatureofthephrase,‘willalways’andalsohowprofitmightalsohaveapositiveeffectoneducation.

∙Studentscantaketwodifferentanglesofthis;thateducationiseitherreceivedorimpartedwitheconomicbenefitasthedesiredoutcome.

∙Studentsmustevaluateprofit’simpactoneducation,thatitcanbothbeimprovedandworsened,orthatitsdisseminationcanbothbewiderorless.

∙Studentsmustacknowledgethatthecommercialisationofeducationmaybeseenasundesirableaseducationideallyshouldnotbeconflatedwitheconomicbenefitorprofit-motivated.Toaddmoneytotheequationwouldsullythepurityofeducation.

∙Studentswilllikelyexpoundontheintrinsicvalueofeducation,eitherfromtheperspectiveofthestudentreceivingit,ortheteacherimpartingit.

∙Studentsshouldalsohighlightprofitableprofessionswillaffectschoolcurriculumorcourseenrolmentatuniversitytoreflectthenumbersaccordingly,thustyingthecontentofstudytoitsapplicationinemployment.

∙StudentsmightexplainhowtuitionisbecomingaprobleminSingapore,wherehigherincomestudentsdobetteratschoolastheycanaffordexpensivetuitionathome.

∙Theessayshouldbediscussedinthecontextofthepopularityofprivateschools,theincreasingcostsofeducation,thepracticesofawardingdonationstoschoolsinreturnforenrolment,thepursuitofhigherqualificationsinordertogainawidernetworkorbetterjob.

HigherOrder

∙Regardlessofthereason,ifpeoplestillgeteducated,thentheaimofeducationisachieved.

∙Educationisconsideredabasichumanrightaccordingtothe1948UniversalDeclarationofRights,andprofitingwouldbeaperversionofthatideal.

∙Itcouldbearguedthateducationwouldfunctionlikeanyothercapitalistindustry,andwouldbenefitintermsofinnovationandefficiencyfromcompetition.

∙Itmightalsobearguedthatitisnolongerrealistictoconsidereducationaloftyidealinanincreasinglyexpensivesocietywithextremelyhighcostsofliving.

∙Goodstudentsmightarguethatexpensiveuniversitieswhereeducationisacquired,asabrand–IvyLeague,Oxbridge,Insead–isevenmorevaluablethantheactualeducationreceived.

∙Itmaybearguedthatthereexistdifferentlevelsandqualitiesofeducation,withthehighestdeservingexorbitantfeesandthelowest,mostbasiclevelsdeservedlyfreeorcheap.

4.Discussthevalueofcolours.

Basicrequirements

∙Understandthattheessayhastoaddressthepositiveandnegativevaluesofcolours.Essaycanalsoaddresshowimportant,significantoruselesscoloursaretotheworld.

∙Coloursshouldbeinterpretedliterally.

∙Abletocoveradecentscopeofdiscussionbyanalysingthefunctionsofcoloursindifferentfacetsoflife,suchasindividualhealthandenjoyment,impactonsocietiesorcountriesetc.

∙Basicpointstoacknowledgewouldbethepleasingaestheticappealofcolours（inart,generalsurroundingsandobjects）andcertainuniversalsignificanceorsymbolismofcolours（reddenotesdanger,whitesymbolisespurity,trafficlights）

∙Colourscanuniteandsegregatepeople.Solidarityandunitycanarisewhenpeopleassociatecertaincolourswithissues,placesorthingstheyarepassionateabouteg.Coloursofflags,sportsclubs,social/political/environmentalcauses（thedifferentcolouredribbons,coloursoflogos,gayprideflagsandmovements）,schoolsetc.Theconverseisalsotruewhensuchstrongpassionincitesconflictb