Throughout my many years of teaching the subject of General Paper (GP), I have found that students often feel intimidated by GP because of the need to demonstrate their knowledge of current affairs. This includes ‘memorising’ examples to boost content marks for GP essays. Personally, the word ‘memorising’ leaves a bad taste in my mouth because it implies that the examples must be hard facts, and that they are not practical to keep in mind; hence, it requires rote memory.

However, General Paper is a test on one’s understanding of current affairs and these affairs do directly impact students, one way or another. 

As I was ruminating over this emotional hurdle that students often experience when studying GP, I figured that it could be because students are too overly fixated on a certain type of example - statistics (i.e. facts & figures). As a result, they see it is a chore to memorise these numbers. Indeed, while it is great to know your numbers, such an example type is NOT the only way to demonstrate one’s knowledge of current affairs.

Here are THREE different types of examples to consider. For easier referencing, we will be covering examples in relation to the theme of SOCIAL MEDIA & TERRORISM.

EXAMPLE TYPES

1. Statistics

• No surprise. This is a popular one because it gives students the opportunity to ‘show off’ what they have read. 
• Keep in mind that the statistic is ONLY useful when it is relevant to the argument / point being made. 
• When giving statistics, include the following:
  • Year 
  • Month (*if possible)
  • Source (e.g. organisation, newspaper article, academic journal, learning institute that did the research study, report)
  • Ballpark figure (e.g approximately 80 per cent) is sufficient

For example:

According to the Profile of Individual Radicalisation in the United States (PIRUS) in 2016, social media played a significant role in the radicalisation processes of approximately 86 per cent of United States extremists. 

2. General Events / Individual Case Studies

• My personal favourite! Many events happen daily and they are often shared through online news sites which are easy to access.
• Taking some time to note down key events that happen daily would really help when revising for GP. 
• When taking down notes for these events, include the following:
  • Year
  • Month (*if possible)
  • Main person involved / organisation that spearheaded the event
    • The name of the person would be preferable. However, if that is not possible to recall, at least general traits such as a Singaporean youth or an elderly Singaporean lady should be included.
    • If an organisation is involved, it is highly recommended to remember the name as this further adds legitimacy to the evidence given (e.g. World Health Organisation (WHO), Ministry of Education (MOE)).
  • Main event that occurred (i.e. there is not a need to remember an exact timeline but the gist of what happened is sufficient)
  • Key takeaway(s)

For example:

In 2022, an 18-year-old Singaporean youth was detained after making plans to commit armed violence in support of the jihadist militant group, Islamic State of Israel and Syria (ISIS). He became radicalised after watching Youtube videos, participating in online forums and viewing ISIS propaganda online.

3. Policies and Measures

• The most practical type of examples as these examples may apply to individuals in general (e.g. Healthcare policies, Build-To-Order (BTO) flats in Singapore)
• When taking down notes for these events, include the following:
  • Year of implementation
  • Month (*if possible)
  • Main objective(s) of the policy or measure
  • Target group (e.g. elderly, youth, Singaporeans)
  • Successes and/ or failures (or key criticisms)

For example:

The Internal Security Act (ISA) is a law that allows the government to stop individuals or illegal groups that threaten to harm Singapore’s internal security. The ISA is used by the Internal Security Department to investigate security threats like international terrorism, espionage and acts of violence or hatred using race or religion. 

Link example to the main point / argument (i.e. SO WHAT about this example? HOW does it support my point?): 

• Such an example demonstrates that social media platforms have become effective tools for terrorist organisations to radicalise and recruit individuals for their cause. If proven to be successful, it can cause many lives to be lost and damage the fabric of societies. 

Conclusion:

Remember that regardless of what kind of examples you utilise in your GP essay, ensure that the example is RELEVANT and links to your main point / argument. Leave out irrelevant details such as the timeline of an event and just focus on the gist of the issue. This will definitely ensure that your example remains focused. 

We hope this helps you in your GP journey! 

Links for Reference:

https://www.start.umd.edu/pubs/START_PIRUS_UseOfSocialMediaByUSExtremists_ResearchBrief_July2018.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/story/is-it-isis-or-isil

https://www.mha.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/default-document-library/isa-booklet.pdf