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Any moment from now the Basic Education Certificate Examination(BECE) will commence and this clear that all BECE candidates have their days numbered with a limited time as well. What is BECE?
BECE is proving all that you have ever learnt from nursery to form three(3), so if you are unable to perform well in your BECE it means that you could not proved what you have ever learnt from nursery to form three(3). That is why in these last days you must do everything possible to pass your exams excellently there's nothing like 'too late' a tutor at one of the high schools in Ghana Nsein Senior High School called Mr. Asabil once said "the day that it will be over is the day you will hear stop work! All pens down!" . My dear brother and sister when this great teacher told us as candidates preparing for our final exams we were really elevated and mastered all that we need to master during that short period and to the glory of the Almighty God we all made it. Glory!!!!!! What's bothering you as a final year student leaving you thinking that you can't make it in this your final exams, is it your weakness in any of the subjects? Don't worry try solving the social studies questions below the solutions are also added to it and I strongly believe that it will make an impact in your life
OBJECTIVES
1. Indiscipline is a problem in the Ghanaian society because it
A. reduces productivity
B. destroys the educational system
C. leads to high birth rate
D. encourages bribery and corruption
2. Which of the following is a primary activity?
A. Plywood processing
B. Fruit canning
C. Cocoa cultivation
D. Textile production
3. The Akans are believed to have migrated from
A. Old Ghana Empire
B. The Chad basin C. Benin Republic D. Ile Ife
4. The most important symbol which identifies Ghana as an independent state is the
A. Speaker‟s Mace
B. National Flag C. State Sword D. Coat-of-arms
5. Which of the following diseases is caused by pollution of water bodies?
A. River blindness
B. Asthma
C. Cholera
D. Hepatitis B
6. A day is either gained or lost when one moves across longitude
A. 180° B. 24° E C. 15° W D. 0°
7. The most cherished value expected of an adolescent in the Ghanaian society is
A. hospitality
B. patience
C. generosity
D. chastity
8. Which of the following cultural practices is a drawback to development in the Ghanaian society?
A. Celebration of festivals
B. Naming and outdooring ceremonies
C. Belief in the activities of demons
D. Performing puberty rites
9. The symbol on topographic maps represents
A. settlements
B. farmlands
C. marshy areas
D. areas liable to flood
10. On a relief map, the colour brown usually represents
A. plains
B. mountains
C. water bodies
D. lowlands
11. An extensive area of lowland is called a
A. ridge B. valley C. plain
D. plateau
12. Which of the following vegetation types is not found in Ghana?
A. Sahel woodland B. Guinea savanna C. Mangrove forest
D. Tropical rain forest
13. The main type of vegetation found in the south-western part of Ghana is the
A. rain forest
B. coastal grassland C. guinea savanna D. mangrove forest
14. Lunar eclipse occurs when the
A. sun comes between the earth and the moon
B. moon comes between the sun and the earth C. earth comes between the sun and the moon D. earth rotates on its axis from West to East.
15. The type of rainfall formed by the meeting of two air masses of different temperatures is
A. relief
B. frontal
C. convectional
D. orographic
16. Which of the following continents is uninhabited?
A. Asia
B. Antarctica C. Australia D. Europe
17. One problem created in the rural areas as a result of rural-urban drift is
A. increase in streetism
B. creation of slums
C. environmental degradation
D. increased incidence of broken homes
18. Which of the following factors may cause rural-urban drift?
A. Better employment opportunities in the urban areas
B. Better health facilities in the rural areas
C. Even distribution of social amenities in the country
D. Absence of recreational facilities in the urban areas
19. Asante was colonized by the British through
A. agreement
B. force
C. persuasion
D. plebiscite
20. Right to life means
A. living forever
B. living without interference
C. acquiring wealth
D. sustaining the family line
21. Independence of the judiciary implies that judges
A. should get everything free
B. should not pay taxes
C. can do whatever they like
D. should be free from political interference
22. One major cause of conflicts in the Ghanaian society is
A. the development of slums in the cities
B. inadequate number of law enforcement agents C. the encouragement of inter-ethnic marriages D. unacceptable way of choosing leaders
23. The international organization formed to maintain world peace after the Second World War is known as
A. The League of Nations
B. United Nations Organisation C. Commonwealth of Nations D. Non-aligned Movement
24. After independence, Ghana automatically became a member of the
A. African Union
B. League of Nations
C. Commonwealth of Nations
D. Non-Aligned Movement
25. The executive arm of government comprises of the President, the Cabinet and
A. Civil servants
B. Lawyers
C. the Speaker
D. the Chief Justice
26. One way of preventing ethnic conflict in Ghana is through
A. payment of compensation
B. creation of jobs
C. celebration of festivals
D. tolerance and dialogue
27. Family planning is beneficial to Ghanaians because it
A. helps in giving respect and honour to fathers
B. increase life expectancy of children
C. helps restore the health of mothers
D. brings about equitable distribution of income
28. Labour can be productively increased through
A. moral education in society
B. training and retraining
C. extension of working hours
D. people doing sacrificial work
29. One traditional way of preserving fish in Ghana is
A. canning
B. freezing C. salting D. boiling
30. One factor responsible for the low rate of economic development in Ghana is
A. misappropriation of state resources
B. misuse of individual resources C. increase of taxes on industries D. slow rate of population growth
31. Which of the following means of saving ensures continuity of firms after suffering losses?
A. Treasury bill
B. Insurance
C. Company shares
D. Government bonds
32. Travelling to see and enjoy facilities and sceneries in other places is referred to as
A. leisure B. tourism C. pleasure
D. entertainment
33. Workers in Ghana are required by law to contribute towards their future upkeep through
A. Company shares
B. Treasury bills
C. Government bonds
D. Social Security schemes
34. A constitution may be defined as the
A. bye-laws of a country
B. decrees of a country
C. customary laws of a country
D. highest law of a country
35. An advantage of a good layout for settlement is that
A. it reduces overcrowding of families
B. it promotes trading and church activities
C. it makes the inhabitants very rich
D. modern houses and schools are built
36. One responsibility of the Ghanaian citizen is to
A. protect the police
B. pay taxes
C. work and earn a living
D. worship freely
37. In order to protect one‟s rights, a citizen should be
A. a law student
B. a youth leader
C. educated on them
D. an observer at court sittings
38. Which of the following personalities was a member of the United Gold Coast Convention?
A. Kojo Botsio B. J.B. Danquah C. Krobo Edusei
D. K. A. Gbedemah
39. The primary function of the legislature is to
A. administer justice
B. make laws
C. register citizens
D. protect wrong doers
40. People who buy company shares receive
A. profits
B. dividends
C. loans
D. overdrafts
ANSWERS TO OBJECTIVES
1. A. reduces productivity
2. C. Cocoa cultivation
3. A. Old Ghana Empire
4. D. Coat-of-arms
5. A. River blindness
6. A. 180°
7. D. chastity
8. C. Belief in the activities of demons
9. C. marshy areas
10. B. mountains
11. C. plain
12. A. Sahel woodland
13. A. rain forest
14. C. earth comes between the sun and the moon
15. B. frontal
16. B. Antarctica
17. D. increased incidence of broken homes
18. A. Better employment opportunities in the urban areas
19. B. force
20. B. living without interference
21. D. should be free from political interference
22.
B.
inadequate number of law enforcement agents
23.
B.
United Nations Organisation
24.
C.
Commonwealth of Nations
25.
A.
Civil servants
26.
D.
tolerance and dialogue
27.
D.
brings about equitable distribution of income
28.
B.
training and retraining
29.
C.
salting
30.
A.
misappropriation of state resources
31.
B.
Insurance
32.
B.
tourism
33.
D.
Social Security schemes
34.
D.
highest law of a country
35.
A.
it reduces overcrowding of families
36.
B.
pay taxes
37.
C.
educated on them
38.
B.
J.B. Danquah
39.
B.
make laws
40.
B.
dividends
THEORY
Answer three questions only, choosing one question from each section. All questions carry equal marks
SECTION I
THE ENVIRONMENT
Answer one question only from this section
1. (a) State four problems created in the urban areas by rural-urban migration
(b)
Describe four measures that can be adopted to reduce rural-urban migration
2. (a) (i) What is superstition?
(ii) Give two examples of superstitious beliefs
(b) Outline five effects of superstitious beliefs on a community
SECTION II
GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND STABILITY
Answer one question only from this section
3. (a) Why was the Watson Commission set up?
4.
(b)
(a)
Give four reasons for the 1948 riots
Identify four sources of conflicts in Ghana
(b) Explain four effects of conflicts in Ghana
SECTION III
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Answer one question only from this section
5. (a)
(b) Give four reasons for saving
Outline four avenues for saving
6.
(a)
(b)
Give four reasons for the establishment of state owned enterprises in Ghana
Highlight four problems facing state owned enterprises in Ghana.
ANSWERS TO THEORY
PART I
GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND STABILITY
1. (a) Problems created in the urban areas by rural-urban migration
(i) Increase in streetism
(ii) Creation of slums
(iii) Increased environmental degradation
(iv) Increased cost of living
(v) Reduced access to social amenities
(vi) Increase in criminal activities (vii) Increased unemployment rate (viii) Reduced economic productivity
[any four]
(b) Measures that can be adopted to reduce rural-urban migration
(x) Creation of more job opportunities in the rural areas
The government and other bodies must create more employment opportunities such as cottage industries, plantations, factories, etc in the rural areas. The existing rural industries must also be improved upon in order to make them more productive and lucrative. These measures would encourage those who move from the rural to the urban areas in search of jobs to stay and work in the rural areas and still earn sufficient income to cater for themselves and their families.
(xi) Attractive government incentives for corporate bodies and firms
The government must provide attractive incentives to corporate bodies and firms to entice them to set up branches / agencies of their businesses in the rural areas. Some of these incentives could be tax rebates, tax holidays, manpower training, subsidies, award schemes,
etc, which would eventually draw lots of businesses / industries to the rural areas. This should serve as motivation for rural dwellers to stay and work there.
(xii) Provision of more/ better social amenities in rural areas
There is the need for the provision of new and improved social amenities (modern infrastructure) such as public toilets, schools, potable water, electricity, information and communication services, recreational centres, etc, in the rural areas. This would make life in the rural areas more attractive and interesting. Rural dwellers would therefore be enticed to stay
(xiii) Amendment of negative cultural practices
Certain cultural practices or aspects of them that are not desirable must be either changed or modified. Some of these practices are puberty rites, widowhood rites, forced marriages, female genital mutilation, etc. Certain aspects, of these practices, which are painful, shameful, humiliating or dehumanising must be either stopped or modified to more acceptable forms. If this is done it would take away the fear that makes some people escape and hence encourage them to stay in the rural areas.
(xiv) Modernisation of agricultural industry in the rural areas
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood in many rural communities. However, most youthful rural dwellers today find the use of simple tools and methods for agriculture boring, tiresome and less productive. The times when subsistence farming was enough are past and gone. What is needed in these modern times is the introduction of current state-of- the-art technology and implements in the agricultural sector in the rural areas. This ensures higher interest in agric as well as increased yield / productivity, which would mean increased financial income for the agriculturists in the rural areas.
(xv) Educating the rural populace on dangers involved with urban migration and opportunities in rural areas.
Quite a number of rural folks migrate to the urban areas without even knowing what awaits
them there. It‟s important that governmental agencies and other socially oriented organizations render intensive education to the rural folks. They must educate them on both the challenges involved in migrating without proper planning to the urban areas and the opportunities still available in the rural areas. Some of these challenges could be lack of accommodation, lack of employment opportunities, getting of infectious diseases, involvement in social vices due to peer pressure or stress and hence danger of being
arrested and being sent to prison, etc. Some of the opportunities in rural areas are ease of accommodation, acquisition of land for business or residence, lesser temptation for social
vices, etc.
[any four]
2. (a) (i) Superstition
A belief system based on perceptions of the supernatural or the spiritual realm rather than on factual reasoning
(ii) Examples of superstitious beliefs
The belief that certain animals must not be killed
The belief that some particular plants/ trees must not be cut
The belief that one must not sweep at night
The belief that one must not whistle while taking a bath
The belief that a child‟s tooth that comes out must be thrown on a rooftop.
The belief that one must not work on ones farm on certain days
The belief that a couple must not have sex outdoors (even when no one is watching)
The belief that one must not go fishing on specific days
[any two]
(b) Effects of superstitious beliefs on a community
Positive Effects
(i) They help to facilitate safety of the community
(ii) They help to inculcate acceptable social habits in the society
(iii) They help to uphold law and order
(iv) They support the preservation of the environment
(v) They help to maintain personal hygiene
Negative Effects
(vi) They discourage scientific advancement and technology (vii) They generate conflicts among members of the community (viii) They create intense and unreasonable fear in the community (ix) They slow down development / progress in the community (x) They sometimes permit abuse of one‟s human rights
(xi) They create suspicions among persons in a community
(xii) They discourage creativity concerning innovative solutions to societal problems
[any five]
PART II
OUR ENVIRONMENT
3. (a) Why the Watson Commission was set up
The Commission was set to
(i) investigate the causes of the 1948 riots and
(ii) make recommendations to the colonial administration on how to prevent future occurrences
(b) Reasons for the 1948 riots
(i) The shooting and killing of 3 ex-servicemen on 28th February 1948 at the Christianborg crossroad while on a march to the Osu Castle to present a petition to the Governor
(ii) The difficulties (no jobs, no pension allowance, no homes) of the ex-service men.
(iii) The Alan Burns Constitution was not favourable, because it did not offer enough opportunity (seats) for local (Ghanaian) participation in the legislative and executive councils.
(iv) There were insufficient facilities for education and health
(v) The introduction of Conditional Sales (forced buying of unneeded items, before buying what was actually needed)
(vi) The widely held belief that the white man was superior to the black man was shattered during the world war as Ghanaian soldier fought alongside British soldier.
(vii) Employment difficulties for school leavers
(viii) Cutting down of cocoa trees that had been affected by the swollen shoot disease
(ix) High prices of essential commodities, which was caused by general shortage
(x) The monopoly and other negative practices of the Association of West African Merchants (AWAM) made several African businesses suffer and hence brought great economic hardships to the local people.
[any four]
4. (a) Sources of conflicts in Ghana
(i) Chieftaincy disputes
(ii) The media (both print and electronic)
(iii) Suspicion and intolerance among individuals and groups
(iv) Land ownership problems
(v) Human rights abuse
(vi) Religious beliefs
(vii) Gender discrimination (viii) Marital misunderstandings (ix) Political differences
(x) Tribal /ethnic / racial / cultural differences
(xi) Socialization (personal standards of social ethics) (xii) acculturation
[any four]
(b) Effects of conflicts in Ghana
(i) Fear and Insecurity
When a conflict occurs, people either lose their sense of security or actually become insecure. Eg, if there is conflict between mother and father at home, the children may become scared and tensed, and therefore cannot go about their duties or socialize in the normal way. In the case of regional / ethnic violence, people become fearful and hence are unable to carry out their usual socio-economic or other activities.
(ii) Disruption of social activities
Conflicts interfere with the normal conduct of society. Activities such as family socialization, children attending school, workers carrying out duties, utility services operating, transportation services running, etc, may all be stopped due to physical destruction of social amenities, insecurity or suspicion.
(iii) Economic downturn
Conflicts cause a general decline in the economy. This is because businesses and other service providers may be forced to shut down / suspend / significantly reduce their services, thereby lowering the per capita income. This situation also results in reduced provision of goods and services ( less productivity). In such circumstances, prices of the few goods and services on the market are greatly hiked (increased), thereby creating intense economic hardship in the nation.
(iv) Injuries, loss of life and property
Serious conflicts / intense fighting can lead to injuries, loss of lives and property of inhabitants and state. When tempers rise to uncontrollable levels, parties involved in the conflict try to inflict the highest possible damage to their opponents in order to punish them or „teach them a lesson‟. They therefore use various kinds of weapons which kill people, cause serious injuries or destroy property. This could happen in various kinds of conflicts, from domestic to inter-regional.
(v) Displacements of persons
Displacements of persons occur when people move out of their usual places of abode/ work, due to conflict, to reside in other areas they consider safer or more peaceful. People may move out of their family homes /schools /workplace / worship centre / communities / towns / regions, wherever the conflict may be, to other places. The new places they move to, even though it may be safer or more peaceful, may be less comfortable for them, since they may not get the basic necessities, pleasures or social environment they are used to in their original places. This could make life difficult or even unbearable for them.
(vi) Creates conditions for human rights abuses
In times of conflict, there is usually a breakdown of law and order, and some people tend to take undue advantage to abuse the fundamental human rights of others. While some
become fearful and hence „coil into their shells‟, others become more careless and violent. The more careless ones then abuse the rights of the others. Eg, due to conflict, a mother may refuse to feed the child, a boss may refuse to pay an employee for work done, a religious sect may stop another from worshiping, a person may kill another person, etc. All these constitute abuses of human rights.
[any four]
PART III
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
5. (a) Reasons for saving
(i) Helps to manage one‟s finances and avoid over- spending
(ii) Helps to ensure the security of one‟s future („for a rainy day‟) (iii) Enables one to purchase or do something expensive in future. (iv) Helps one to make significant investment in a given venture. (v) Helps to increase one‟s financial wealth or net worth
(vi) Helps one to have a sound and peaceful mind, in order to be more productive. (vii) Helps one to be seen as financially reliable and responsible (good reputation)
[any four]
(b) Avenues for saving
(i) Banks (saving account, current account, treasury bill, etc) (ii) Savings and loans companies
(iii) Social security schemes
(iv) Insurance companies
(v) Credit unions
(vi) „Susu‟ companies
(vii) Money /Savings box
[any four]
6. (a) Reasons for the establishment of state owned enterprises in Ghana
(i) Provision of employment for workers.
(ii) Provision of essential goods and services at affordable costs
(iii) Protection of certain sectors which are considered to be of national interest and pride. (iv) Large capital required to establish certain vital services may not be obtained by private
enterprises.
(v) Rapid development of the economy
(vi) Maintain control of certain crucial factors that affect the economy
[any four] (b) Problems facing State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Ghana
(i) Low productivity – Many SOEs are producing at levels well below their capacities.
(ii) Incompetent and inefficient staff – Some SOEs are staffed with personnel with relatively low levels of training, experience and skills.
(iii) Poor working attitude of staff – The working attitudes of many workers in several SOEs are simply destructive (negative)
(iv) Political inconsistencies / interference– Each political party that comes to power has different ideas on how the SOEs must be managed. Hence, there is no political consistency.
(v) Insufficient funds / capital – Many SOEs do not have the needed funds to operate at optimum (best / highest) levels.
(vi) Bribery, Corruption and Embezzlement – Almost all SOEs in Ghana are perceived to have various levels of bribery, corruption and embezzlement present in them.
(vii) Lack of trust by general public – the general public seems to have a low level of trust in
SOEs.
(viii) Excessive patronage of services – There is excessive patronage of (extreme pressure on)
some SOEs products and services due to the affordable rates and the monopoly („one man show‟) that some of them have.
[any four]
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