HCI GP Prelim 2009 Compre Answer Key Final

8/17/2019 HCI GP Prelim 2009 Compre Answer Key Final

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HCI 2009 JC2 GP Preliminary Examination Comprehension Answer Scheme

Passage 1

1. What three different reasons does the writer give in the last three sentences of Paragraph 1to support his case that children need to be given legal rights? Use your own words as far aspossible. (2)

Lift Paraphrase

eradicate such unconscionableexploitation

Legal rights for children will help eliminate/endgrossly unacceptable / heartless, unfair treatmentby adults

particularly vulnerable group Children are most specifically easily hurt /harmed

abuse can be effectively deterred. Only legal rights can successfully prevent furthermistreatment of children

( All three reasons given and paraphrased - 2mOnly two reasons are paraphrased well – 1 mOnly one reason is paraphrased well – no marks)

2. ‘In building this mythic walled garden around childhood’ (line 19). Comment on the

appropriateness of the image in italics. Use your own words as far as poss ible. (2)

Lift Paraphrase

Answer to be inferred A ‘walled garden’ conjures the image of a miniparadise that is hidden and protected fromhuman trampling/destruction. (1 m)It is an apt/suitable image of childhood which issimilarly seen as a vulnerable /innocent periodthat needs to be shielded from the problems ofthe adult world. (1 m)

3. In paragraph 5, the writer gives four objections that different groups have made to the idea ofgiving children legal rights. Explain the possible reasoning behind any two of these objections using your own words as far as possible. [2]

Lift Paraphrase

Religious groups condemn the notion as

heretical

Religious organizations might consider the idea

blasphemous/wrong as it goes against receiveddoctrines/dogmas/prescriptions where childrenare depicted as completely subject to parentalauthority/told to never to defy/disobey theirparents (instead of challenging them).

employers complain that it would bei ll i j i

Employers fear the possibility of having to bearith hi h t f ti / hi i l d lt


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Lift Paraphrase

over them/they will not be able to discipline their

children and their authority will be challenged.

human rights proponents cynically observethat it would be merely a cosmeticexercise.

Advocates of human rights see the wholeproposal to accord children’s rights as just asuperficial/token gesture as they would bevirtually impossible would be hard to properlyenforce.

(any two explanations to be awarded 1 mark each)

Summary:4. Why do some people believe that it is not necessary to give children legal rights and whydoes the writer disagree with them? Use material from paragraphs 2-4 only. Write yoursummary in no more than 130 words , not counting the opening words provided below. Useyour own words as far as possible. [8]

Some people argue that it is not necessary to give children rights because….

Lift ParaphraseWhy some people believe that it i s not necessary to give children legal rights

1 who view childhood through rose-tintedspectacles, seeing it as a golden agesynonymous with joyful innocence during which we … enjoy uninhibitedfreedom and experience unlimited play

Childhood is viewed (naively) as an idyllic/trouble-free/carefree/blissful period

2 spared the rigours of adult life…we arereleased from the responsibilities andadversities of adult life in childhood,

unburdened by theduties/problems/challenges of adults (acceptadults).

3 so there should be no necessity to thinkin terms of statutory rights – a conceptwhich we assume is reserved for adults

Hence legal rights only apply/are onlyrequired for older persons.

4 would subvert the inherentresponsibilities of parenthood.

According children rights would underminefundamental/intrinsic/basic parental duties.

5 adults already instinctively andspontaneously provide the love andcare children need, so that the case forhild ' i ht b fl

Because parents naturally/automatically

protect/nurture/show affection for


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Lift Paraphrase

people. false/misguided/misinformed perception of

the reality children experience.

7 unquestioning acceptance of thetraditional family roles of adult‘custodianship’ (i.e. dominance) andchild ‘dependence’ (i.e. subservience)

To blindly/unthinkingly

believe that adults have total authority over

their submissive charges (a master/servantrelationship)

8 is a false stereotype that serves tolegitimise social attitudes that toleratethe use of force in ‘disciplining children for their own good’

validates/sanctions/condones

corporal punishment (to manage/controlchildren)

9 because those who lack rights are likeslaves, means to the ends of others ,

and never sovereigns of their ownselves

Rights afford childrenindependence/autonomy

instead of subservience.

10 Even if one concedes that children are insome way different from adults becausethey are economically dependent,

As children are financiallyvulnerable/financially reliant/unable to earn alivelihood,

11 it can be argued that it is preciselybecause of this difference that theydeserve – indeed require – to beaccorded rights, so that their welfarecan be duly pro tected.

it is even more important to safeguard theirwell-being.

12 to empower them as autonomous agents of their own lives…

Rights give children the authority/ability

to decide how they want to live/beindependent decision-makers/control their

lives

13 In the developed world in particular,children today grow up at meteoricspeed.

In affluent nations, youth todaydevelop/mature much more rapidly/quickly

14 …they are becoming streetwise muchli

Becoming worldly-wise /acquiring morei /k l d /lif kill


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Lift Paraphrase

17 that give them the capacity to be less

reliant

Making them less dependent

18 and more self-disciplined than someadults.

And more self-controlled/ have strongerwillpower than their elders

19 …ensures that the parental power todictate yields to the child's right tomake his own decisions, so that amore equitable and democratic parent-child relationship can rightfully be

attained.

Rights create/establish

parity and mutual respect/an egalitarianrelationship

between parent and child.

Sample Answer:Some people argue that it is not necessary to give children rights because…

…childhood is viewed as an idyllic period unburdened by adult duties, hence legal rights onlyapply to older persons. According children rights would undermine fundamental parental duties.Because parents naturally nurture their young, rights are unnecessary. However, people

romanticise and misrepresent the reality children experience. To blindly believe that adults havetotal authority over their submissive charges condones corporal punishment. Rights makechildren independent instead of subservient. As children are financially vulnerable, it is evenmore important to safeguard their well-being. Rights give children the authority to control theirlives. In affluent nations, young people mature more rapidly, becoming more worldly-wise bothintellectually and ethically, making them less dependent and more self-controlled. Rightsestablish egalitarian relationships between children and parents. (120 words)

Passage 25. What do the two metaphors in the last sentence of Paragraph 1 have in common? [1]

Lift Paraphrase

‘rend our social fabric’‘rot the moral fibre’ of our youth.

The two metaphors employ the same image –that of a piece of cloth which is being damagedin some way (one being torn/ripped, the othersubject to decay/deterioration). OR

Comment on the parallelism/parallel

structure/parallel construction employing thesame syntax and verbal patterns in bothphrases

(1 mark for either of the above points, though the first answer is the stronger, more appropriateone.)6. ‘…make reasoned and reasonable decisions’ (line 13). Explain the distinction between the

t o ords in italics U d f ibl (2)


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7. In Paragraph 2, why does the writer think that children would be unable to exercise theirrights in a responsible manner? [2]

Lift Paraphrase

the egocentric world of the average childwhere impulsive self-gratification andpetulant attention seeking often eclipseall other considerations

This is because the typical child is selfish/ onlyconcerned about his own needs /interests (1/2m) which the child rashly wants to indulge in /fulfil (1/2 m). In addition, the bad-tempered /spoilt behavior (1/2 m) of most children oftenblind them to other issues/concerns/ people’ssituations/feelings (1/2 m)

8. ‘Heaven forbid that young people should do what they are told!’ (lines 42-43). What is thetone of the writer here and why does he adopt it? (1)

Lift Paraphrase

The writer is being facetious/sarcastic/ironic,expressing mock horror / feigned shock/incredulity (allow either) (1/2 m)

to signal her dismay/how appalled she is bythe fact that things have come to such apass/we have lost our moral bearings and theworld has gone mad! Obviously andunquestionably, young people should beautomatically expected to obey authorityfigures like parents, teachers and thegovernment, not the opposite. (1/2 m)

9. What reasons does the writer give in Paragraph 5 to support his claim that giving childrenlegal rights would do more harm than good? Use your own words as far as possible. [2]

Lift Paraphrase

undermine what constitutes the family asthe distinctive form of humanassociation it is

More harm will be inflicted as assertingchildren’s rights will only subvert thefoundation of the family unit, which is a

unique/special social unit.

what is needed is a reliance on thebenevolent dispositions that theindividuals bound together have –instinctively and spontaneously –to ards one another L t

If there is emphasis on legally enforced rightsinstead of feelings of affection and care, thenthere will be conflict instead of peace within afamily. This will strain/gradually weara a /deteriorate the feelings of


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10. Vocabulary

Word 1 mark ½ mark 0 markRife(Passage 1, line 6)

rampant; widespread;prevalent

frequently occurring plentiful, abundant

Docile(Passage 1, line 41)

compliant; obedient;submissive

tame; soft-spoken;gentle; meek

Loutish(Passage 2, line 5)

uncouth and aggressive;thuggish; ill-mannered;rough and vulgar; boorish

Incredible;unbelievable

impolite

Preposterous(Passage 2, line 8)

absurd; ludicrous;ridiculous; outrageous

rude

Clamour(Passage 2, line 34)

Insistent/vehement andloud/noisydemand/outcry/protest

request


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• There is low awareness of this debate in Singapore society, perhaps primarily because instances of child abuse andexploitation are few, and our laws (primarily the Children and Young Persons Act) are robust in protecting children, more so

after we acceded to the Convention.

• According to the Second and Third Periodic Report, in Singapore, “government policies relating to children are based on thekey principles of child-centricity, integration, early intervention, specialised help for vulnerable groups and a shared sense ofresponsibility amongst Government, community and individuals in realising the needs of children”. Thus, it can be argued thatSingapore takes a moderate and balanced approach towards protecting children and recognising the primary role of parentsin securing their children’s welfare.

Ideas f rom Freeman:

Text Evaluationit is only through prosecution andpunishment that future abuse canbe effectively deterred.

Agree:Reasonable argument: if laws in society cannot act as effective deterrents, why do wecontinue to have them?

Disagree: Use of ‘only’ is absolute. Are legal rights really the only way to deter abuse? What aboutareas of abuse where legal rights cannot reach; eg. the fast food industry’s child marketing

tactics?

Freeman fails to recognise that preventive measures can just as effectively deter futureabuse, and we should not seek first recourse through law.

Relevance to Singapore:For example, in addressing the 34th Session of the Committee on the CRC, MOS Chan SooSen claimed that Singapore’s significant progress to further the well-being of our childrenwas made “not because of any international laws, but because ours is a society which loves

and values children.”…such claims idealise and distortthe adult-child relationship, ill-reflecting the lives of many oftoday's young people.

Agree: According to information provided on the PBS documentary series ‘Frontline’ website in anepisode detailing child abuse in foster care, in 2000, approximately 2.8 million reports ofabuse and neglect were reported to child welfare agencies nationwide.

According to US advocacy group Children’s Rights, there were 3.3 million reports of childabuse and neglect in the United States involving 6 million children. More than 900,000


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Text Evaluation

children were confirmed victims of abuse or neglect. The national rate of child fatalities rose

steadily from 1999 to 2006, from 1.62/100,000 to 2.04/100,000.

The Guardian (10 Aug) reports that in 2008, almost 500 children were abducted from Britainand taken abroad, with Pakistan as a hotspot destination.

New Zealand’s 2007 anti-smacking law was promulgated to curb its “high rate of childabuse” (AP). According to a 2003 UNICEF report, she has the fifth-highest rate of childdeaths among the OECD countries.

Relevance to Singapore:Even though cases of child abuse in Singapore are few, there is still cause of concernbecause of the increasing trend of child-related violence. The same MCYS report notes thatsexual abuse figures have increased gradually over the years, making up 29% of the totalnumber of cases. Cases of emotional abuse also showed an increase from 1 in 2000 to 11in 2004, accounting for 5% of the total number of cases.

It is common to read in The Straits Times that Singaporean children suffer from stress due

to their parents’ unreasonable expectations. This is arguably a form of “abuse” whichlegally prescribed rights may be able to address.

Disagree:Relevance to Singapore:The lives of the majority of Singaporean children are arguably care-free and “harrowingincidences of poverty, disease and abuse” are absent. Children only have to worry aboutexcelling in their studies and fulfilling (sometimes unrealistic) parental expectations.

Relevance to Singapore: According to the October 2005 MCYS Report “Protecting Children in Singapore”, actualcases of child abuse (with evidence of abuse/neglect) increased from 61 in 2000 to 90 in2004, averaging about 79 cases yearly, showing that child abuse cases in Singaporeremain relatively low.

unquestioning acceptance of thetraditional family roles of adult‘custodianship’ (and child

Agree:We acknowledge the Judeo-Christian and Confucianist beliefs that children must obey theirparents.


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Text Evaluation

‘dependence’ (i.e. subservience)… Relevance to Singapore:

According to the Oct 2005 MCYS Report “Protecting Children in Singapore”, 54% ofperpetrators in child abuse cases were biological parents.One wonders whether, despite economic progress, our conservative Asian society has yetto fully recognise children’s freedoms to express themselves, their desires and choices etc.

…is a false stereotype that serves tolegitimise social attitudes thattolerate the use of force in‘disciplining children for their owngood’.

Agree:New Zealand’s ‘anti-smacking’ law suggests that she, too, is aware of the need to protectchildren from abuse resulting from misguided attempts to discipline.

Relevance to Singapore:

In Singapore, we have embraced the progressive idea of discipline with care; RestorativePractices and counseling are preferred to the rod.

Disagree:Relevance to Singapore: In Singapore schools, caning is still on the books for serious offences, which implies thatthere is still a need for authority figures to be able to turn to stringent punishments to ensureorder and a conducive learning environment.

those who lack rights are likeslaves… Agree:We cannot deny the historical veracity of infantalising our inferiors such as women andchildren.

Disagree:Scaremongering: choosing the most extreme example of slaves to make his point.

it is precisely because of thisdifference that [children] deserve –indeed require – to be accorded

rights, so that their welfare can beduly protected.

Agree:If the focus in on protecting children who are exploited and abused, then this argument is

justified.

Disagree:Children who do not have to contend with exploitation and abuse are already beingprotected by their parents’ “natural affections and attitudes”. (quoting Archard). We canagree with Archard that codifying children’s rights runs the risk of “undermining the relianceon the benevolent dispositions that family members bound together instinctively andspontaneously towards one another”.


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Text Evaluation

In the developed world in particular,

children today grow up at meteoricspeed…becoming streetwise muchearlier. [M]any teenagers todayreach levels of cognitive and moralmaturity…

[Legal rights] empower [children] asautonomous agents of their ownlives…

Agree:

Relevance to Singapore:Since becoming a signatory to the Convention, the views of children are being increasinglysought for decisions that concern them; eg:

• student feedback taken into account in any major national educational policyreform/review; (eg. JC/Upper Sec Review)

• In school, there are suggestion schemes, feedback forms/surveys, dialogue sessionsand forums, journal writing lessons, elected student leadership, opportunities to assume

leadership roles in and outside the classroom. Students have been involved in settingsome school rules and designing school uniforms;

• The annual Pre-University Seminar has been held since 1970. In 2001, the Deputy PMhosted a discussion with a group of youths on matters close to their hearts. Thisdiscussion was broadcast over the media. (MCYS, 2004)

• A list of legislative provisions ensuring that the views of children and young persons are

heard is seen in.

(i) The right to participation in court proceedings – Children and Young Persons Act andProbation of Offenders Act;

(ii) The right to participation in custody proceedings – Women’s Charter

(iii) The right to expression of views in relation to abortion - Termination of Pregnancy Act;

(iv) The right to expression of views in relation to sexual sterilisation – Voluntary Sterilisation Act

…that give them the capacity to beless reliant and more self-disciplinedthan some adults.

Disagree:Freeman fails to recognise that the Convention acknowledges that young children may nothave the maturity to make many decisions by themselves and would require parents andadults who have their interests at heart, to help them to make decisions, or if they are tooyoung, to make decisions on their behalf.


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Text Evaluation

…ensures that the parental power to

dictate yields to the child's right tomake his own decisions, so that amore equitable and democraticparent-child relationship canrightfully be attained.

Disagree:

Freeman also fails to recognise that the Convention (Article 12) also acknowledges thatwhen children exercise their rights, they are expected to do so within the confines of thelaw, and without infringing on the rights of others, including the authority of parents andother custodians. Children’s rights include responsibility - agree with Archard.

Freeman is misguided to believe that the parent-child relationship can ever be an equitableone – children are after all dependents and parents their custodians.

Relevance to Singapore:

In Singapore, children’s right to have their views taken seriously can be seen in our judicialprocedures. When children testify in court, their testimony is given due weight and they doso without fear or intimidation, as provided in the Vulnerable Witness Programme. Inadoption and custody disputes, the Family Court takes children’s opinions intoconsideration. (MCYS)

Arguments against legallyprescribing a specified set of

children’s rights [cannot] be ethicallysustained…[and]…would be merelya cosmetic exercise.

Disagree:Freeman does not address and thus dismisses/disregards the practical concerns of his

opponents, insisting instead that ethical concerns take precedence, which may not be true.For example, Freeman could have pointed out that even if we codify children’s rights, westill face practical problems of enforcement.

Freeman confuses arguments against legally prescribing children’s rights with argumentsagainst acknowledging that children have rights. While it is unethical to deny that childrenhave rights and accordingly withhold protection of their interests, it is perfectly reasonableand acceptable to object to a set of legally prescribed rights.

If humanity is to progress, we have

to acknowledge that to truly protectchildren is to protect their rights. Wehave to treat them as personsentitled to equal concern andrespect…

Disagree:

Freeman again narrowly claims that protection is possible only under the law. It may bepossible to demonstrate equal concern and respect for children without couching ourobligations in legal terms.


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Ideas from Archard:

Text Evaluation

The view that unfettered personalliberty and statutory rights shouldtake precedence over disciplinedsocial citizenship is preposterous.

Any further emphasis on children’srights would merely encourage adestructive permissiveness that

would ….rend our socialfabric...[and] rot the moral fibre ofour youth.

Agree: In some American schools (eg Philadelphia) where corporal punishment is banned, someteachers whose hands are tied feel it is almost impossible for learning to take place as thereare no meaningful sanctions to deter hardened trouble-makers.

Relevance to Singapore:The fact that parents have recourse to apply for Beyond Parental Control Orders (BPCOs)under the Children and Young Persons Act is testament to the valid concerns raised by

Archard regarding the bad behavjour of young people today.

Disagree: Archard exaggerates the situation that would occur if we codify children’s rights in law,perhaps demonstrating an irrational fear of a state of chaos with no way to control it and themoral degradation that may ensue.

His assumption that codifying rights in law will automatically lead to their abuse is

erroneous.

Relevance to Singapore: According to Singapore’s 2nd and 3rd Periodic Report on the implementation of CRC datedJanuary 2009, the number of juveniles arrested for Overall Crime showed “continualdecreases” between 2004 and 2006. From 2003 to 2007, admissions to the MCYS JuvenileHomes have seen a “downward trend”.

It is specious to say that children are

no different from adults.

the vast majority…are unable toform consistent beliefs…immaturityand lack of life experiences… do notequip them with the capacity tomake sound judgments.

Disagree:

Children are of course different from adults in some ways. However, Archard simplisticallyassumes that all children are of similar mental age, which disregards the reality that growingup is a developmental process. Older children – say between 16 to 18 – do have some lifeexperiences to make mature, sound and responsible judgments regarding their life goals.

Regardless of their flawed character, criminals are entitled to legal rights and can exercisethem. In the same way, children need to be protected from abuse and exploitation even if


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Text Evaluation

the expensive luxury of childprotection programmes.

deliberate scaremongering. Note his use of emotive language and contemptuous view ofchild protection – “expensive luxury”.

Instead of the incessant clamour forlegal rights, there is a more pressingneed to morally educate and guidechildren, a function best fulfilled byparents.

Agree:Relevance to Singapore:In Singapore, there is a indeed a more pressing need” for greater parental engagement inmoral education, given that more children are willing to challenge parental authority anddemanding that their needs and concerns be addressed.

Disagree:

Archard sidesteps the issue of why there is a necessity to codify children’s rights; he doesnot really consider the very real cases of abused and exploited children who needprotection; he assumes that every child is a spoilt brat that could use a greater dose ofmoral suasion or parental guidance.

The [Convention] undermines…thefamily as the distinctive form ofhuman association it is…

[externally imposed justice] will onlyerode the natural affections andattitudes that render the need forrights unnecessary in the first place.

…laws will not miraculously reformneglectful or abusive parents…

Agree:Instead of upholding the ‘anti-smacking law’ to address child abuse in families, many in NZ(88%) have advocated revoking the law for fear of wrongful prosecution when dischargingtheir parental responsibilities.

Laws cannot realise/improve morals, and may actually strain natural familial relations.

According to the Children’s Ombudsman (2006), although Sweden bans corporalpunishment, many children are still being beaten.

HCI GP Prelim 2009 Compre Answer Key Final

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