BECE Past Questions & Answers – 2015 (Religious & Moral Education-RME)

NOTE: Sample essays are not provided because some students tend to memorize them instead of using them as a guide, thereby promoting monotony in their essays and hence, negatively affecting their creativity.

SECTION A
RELIGION

1. (a) Write on how Joseph came to live in Egypt. [12 marks]

(Write a narrative essay in paragraphs)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

Introduction
A patriarch was leader of a family in the Old Testament. He was chosen by God to relate on his family’s behalf to God.

 Joseph’s father was Jacob
 He was the eleventh son of his father and the first child of his mother, Rachel.
 His father loved him so much that he sewed for him a coat of many colours.
 Joseph had two dreams which both meant that he will be a leader over his brothers
 His father sent him to give food to his brothers on the desert.
 His brothers devised a plan to kill him when he got there.
 They tied him and put him in a well.
 They finally sold him to a group of desert merchants who were headed for Egypt.
 They killed a goat and poured its blood on his coat and took it home
 They deceived their father that a wild animal had eaten him up on his way.
 His father mourned him for several days and months
 The merchants sold him to Potiphar, a soldier in Egypt.
 In Egypt he stayed in Potiphar’s house, then to prison and finally in Pharaoh’s palace.

(b) Mention four moral lessons learnt from the story. [8 marks]

(Note: Mention and briefly explain)
(Write complete and meaningful sentences)

 Joseph’s obedience and faithfulness (to be emulated / followed)
 Joseph’s hardworking attitude (to be emulated / followed)
 Joseph’s honesty (to be emulated / followed)
 Joseph’s spirit of forgiveness (to be emulated / followed)
 His father Jacob’s favouritism (to be avoided)
 The brothers’ envy and hatred (to be avoided)
 The brothers’ deceptive attitude (to be avoided)
 The brothers’ greed (to be avoided)

2. (a) Outline five contributions of Caliph Abu Bakr to Islam. [15 marks]

(Write an essay in at least five (5) paragraphs outlining in detail any five contributions)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

Introduction
Define who caliphs are, using Abu Bakr as example

 He presented Islam to others in such a way that many of his friends accepted Islam
 Out of compassion for slaves, he deliberately purchased slaves and freed them.
 He gave the first public address inviting people to convert to Islam
 Together with the prophet Muhammed, he led the flight to Medina
 He bought a land for the construction of a mosque in Medina
 He helped to construct a mosque in Medina
 He was involved in several battles between Muslims and their enemies
 He led the delegation in the first Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca
 He gave his daughter, Aisha, in marriage to Prophet Muhammed
 He led Muslims to conquer several territories, which led to the spread of Islam
 He brought unity among Muslims by resolving many conflicts
 He organized the compilation of the holy Quran into one book.

(b) State two lessons that can be learnt from the life of Caliph Abu Bakr
[5 marks] (Note: State and briefly explain)
(Write complete and meaningful sentences)

(i) Compassion – we must be compassionate
(ii) Kindness –we must be kind and willing to give to others
(iii) Commitment – we must show commitment in everything we do
(iv) Perseverance – we must persevere in doing good things and never give up

3. (a) Narrate the traditional myth which explains the separation between man and God.
[12 marks] (Write a narrative essay in at least five (5) paragraphs)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

 In the beginning, God lived very close to man – as close as the ceiling of a small room.
 There lived an old woman who usually pounded fufu.
 Anytime she pounded fufu, she hit God with her pestle.
 God kept on asking her to stop but she did not.
 So God began moving upwards bit by bit until he was far in the sky from the reach of the wicked old lady.

(b) Give four examples of the character of humankind from the story in (a) above
[8 marks] (Note: State and briefly explain)
(Write complete and meaningful sentences)

 Wickedness. The old woman who represents mankind showed wickedness because she kept on hitting God.
 Selfishness. She (mankind) thought only about herself – enjoying her fufu, without considering the harm she was causing to someone else.
 Unfriendly. She (mankind) did not care about God’s feelings, but rather kept on pushing Him away
 Disobedience. She (mankind) did not obey when God asked her to stop disturbing Him
 Unrepentance – Mankind (the oldlady) did not show regret for her wickedness

SECTION B
MORAL LIFE

4. (a) Describe four processes involved in showing repentance. [10 marks]

(Write a short essay in at least four (4) paragraphs describing, with examples, the four processes)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY
Introduction
Define the word repentance.

(i) Realize / admit fault or sin committed
(ii) Show deep regret for action
(iii) Request for pardon from the offended person or God
(iv) Make a strong resolution not to repeat the act.

(b) Outline four reasons for showing regret for one’s wrong deeds [10 marks]

(Write an essay in at least four (4) paragraphs outlining in detail any four reasons)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

Introduction
Define the word regret and give examples

• To mend broken hearts of the offended person and broken relationship with God.
• To ensure unity and peace
• To bring about forgiveness
• To avoid hatred and resentment
• To save a person from eternal destruction
• To regain trust

5. (a) List five factors to be considered before greeting someone. [15 marks]

(Write an essay in at least five (5) paragraphs explaining, with examples, any five factors)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

Introduction
Define greeting and give some forms of greetings

• Time of the day / week / month / year
• Age of the person
• Sex/gender of the person
• Status of the person
• Relationship with the person
• Occasion/situation
• The place / location
• Tribe / culture of the person

(b) Give five reasons why it is important to greet someone. [5 marks]

(Note: State and briefly explain)
(Write complete and meaningful sentences)

• To open up conversation
• To show that one is well trained/ mannered.
• To attract blessings
• To maintain peace and cordiality
• To ensure unity
• To gain favour
• To show respect to others
• To shows one’s recognition and adherence to customs / cultures
• It enables one to feel welcome and at ease
• It helps to resolve conflicts

6. (a) State three dangers associated with self-medication. [12 marks]

(Write an essay in at least three (3) paragraphs explaining, with examples, any three dangers)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

Introduction
Define the term self-medication and give examples

(i) Health Problems / Infections and diseases – such as headaches, nausea, fever, cancer, high blood pressure, etc.
(ii) Loss of respect and dignity – for both the abuser and his/ her family
(iii) Addiction – Most drugs are addictive, so abusers may find it very difficult to stop using them, even when they want to
(iv) Strained relationships – abusers find it difficult to relate with others properly, since the substances usually affect their minds and the way they see things
(v) Mental problems – the substances usually affect their minds or the way they see things. In severe cases, the abusers become insane (mad)
(vi) Low self-esteem – substance abusers tend to look down upon themselves
(vii) Low reputation – the society generally tend to have a low regard for substance abusers
(viii) Low productivity – Substance abusers are usually not able to work as much as they could, due to the effect of the substance on their health and thinking faculties
(ix) Unemployment – substance abusers can lose their jobs either by neglect or by dismissal
(x) Risk of arrest, prosecution and imprisonment – abusers of illicit substances stand the risk of being arrested, prosecuted and jailed
(xi) Educational challenges – due to poor academic performance or suspension or dismissal from school
(xii) Depression – due to the intense mental stress and problems related to substance abuse.
(xiii) Poverty / Financial difficulties – due to the use of almost all of one‟s money to buy the substance and deal

(b) Suggest four ways of checking trade in drugs [8 marks]

(Note: State and briefly explain)
(Write complete and meaningful sentences)

(i) Strict laws against drug trade should be made
(ii) Law enforcers, such as police, immigration officers, etc, should be apt in their duties.
(iii) More effective public education against drug trade
(iv) More severe punishments must be meted out to offenders.
(v) International co-operation against drug trade must be intensified.
(vi) Confidentiality and reward for informants must be ensured.
(vii) More employment avenues must be created to reduce unemployment

SECTION C
SOCIAL LIFE
Answer one question only from this section

7. (a) What is recreation? [8 marks]

Recreation is the act of refreshing oneself after an activity or work. It includes the activities one does to have fun and entertainment. It is also a period of revitalizing oneself.
Examples of recreational activities are playing cards, oware, tennis, swimming, reading, etc

(b) Give four advantages of recreation. [12 marks]

(Write an essay in at least four (4) paragraphs using any four advantages)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

(i) It relaxes our body and mind
(ii) It makes us regain our energy for work.
(iii) It promotes friendship among family and friends
(iv) It gives the opportunity to develop talents
(v) It helps us entertain ourselves
(vi) It makes us enjoy nature (our natural environment)
(vii) It serves as a time for reflecting on our lives.

8. (a) What are human rights? [4 marks]

The basic rights and freedoms to which all human beings are entitled

Or: The basic rights and freedoms of an individual

(b) Explain any four of the human rights [16 marks]

(Write an essay in at least four (4) paragraphs to explain any four of these human rights with relevant examples)

SUGGESTED POINTS FOR YOUR ESSAY

(i) The right to life
(ii) The right to personal liberty
(iii) The right to education
(iv) The right to owning private property
(v) The right to equality
(vi) The right to dignity
(vii) Freedom of expression
(viii) Freedom of association
(ix) Freedom of worship / religion