Bece Past Questions & Answers – 2006 (SOCIAL STUDIES)

SOCIAL STUDIES

SOLUTIONS

SECTION B

PART I

GOVERNMENT, POLITICS AND STABILITY

1. (a) Stages of law-making by parliament in Ghana.
(i) The clerk of Parliament reads a bill (a proposed law) to Parliament – (first reading) (ii) Copies of the bill are made and distributed to members of parliament
(iii) The second reading of the bill is done, and the floor opened for discussion and debate of the bill by members of parliament. – (second reading)
(iv) The speaker then refers the bill to the appropriate committee to study and make
recommendations to Parliament.
(v) The committee, after the study, presents a draft report on the bill to parliament.
(vi) The speaker tables a motion in the House for the bill to be read the third time – (third reading)
(vii) The draft bill is debated / discussed once more by members of parliament. (viii) The necessary changes / modifications of the bill are made
(ix) Members then vote „yes‟ or „no‟ to accept or reject the bill by a simple majority
(x) If accepted, the draft bill is the forwarded to the Attorney-General‟s department for it to be
written in legal language.
(xi) The bill is then sent to the President of the Republic of Ghana for him to sign. (xii) The President signs the bill to make it a law
(xiii) The law is then gazetted in the law books of Ghana.

(b) Features of a good law.
(i) It must be applicable to everyone
(ii) It should be enforceable by the enforcing agents
(iii) It must be in the interest of the people
(iv) It must be clear – quite easy to understand.
(v) It must be reasonable, ie, it must be neither too harsh nor too relaxed
(vi) It must be publicized and made known to the people
[any three]

2. (a) The causes of 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]

(b) Recommendations of the Watson Commission.
(i) The promises made to the ex-sevicemen should be granted
(ii) The natives of Gold Coast (Ghanaians) must given higher representation in the general administration of the country
(iii) More social amenities like housing, potable water must be provided to the people
(iv) A new constitution must be introduced to address the shortcomings of the Burns constitution and also as a step towards independence
(v) Education must be improved at the primary, middle and secondary levels by establishing more schools to train more people. [any three]

PART II
OUR ENVIRONMENT

3. (a) Ways in which the forest vegetation is important to the Ghanaian?

(i) Provides timber, which serves as raw material for both local and foreign wood industries

(ii) The nation obtains foreign exchange from the export of timber, which is gotten from the rain forest.
(iii) Provides raw materials for the crafts industry, eg, cane for basket weaving. (iv) Most of the trees are use for medicinal purposes (as herbs)
(v) Serves as a habitat for wild animals and other living organisms
(vi) Serves as a protection for some rivers – keeps them from drying up
(vii) Source of food – some trees produce fruits and leaves which are edible. (viii) Supports the cultivation of some crops, such as cocoa, rubber, etc
(ix) Provides employment for timber merchants, farmers, herbalists, etc
(x) Supports the tourism industry – Serves as tourist attractions sites
(xi) Provides wood for energy – firewood and charcoal
[any four]

(b) Ways by which the forest can be preserved.
(i) Planting more trees to replace ones that have been cut down / felled – (Reforestation) (ii) Ensuring that only trees of a certain minimum size can be felled – (Controlled felling) (iii) Empowering government agencies that responsible for forests preservation to work more
efficiently (eg, the Environmental Protection Agency and The Forestry Commission) (iv) Making and enforcing laws that seek to preserve the forests (Legislation)
(v) Planting trees to create a forest – (Afforestation)
(vi) Prosecuting / penalizing offenders who flout the forest preservation laws / by-laws / ethics to serve as a deterrent to others.
(vii) Creating forest reserves – forests that are kept from human exploitation
(viii) Preventing overgrazing by cattle and other animals
(ix) Preventing bushfires by public education and other measures
(x) Planting trees on farms for various reasons – (Agroforestry)
[any three]

4. (a) Effects of rural-urban migration on the villages of Ghana.
(i) It brings about population decrease.
(ii) It reduces the workforce / human resource supply in the villages
(iii) It causes broken homes and families
(iv) It causes low yields from agriculture and other economic ventures
(v) It leads to reduced food supply
(vi) It slows down the rate of development
(vii) It encourages promiscuity (casual sexual habits), due to absence of spouses (husbands or wives)
(viii) It can promote the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) due to increased
promiscuity
(ix) It can lead to increased waywardness of children, in cases of absent parents or guardians. (x) It may cause a breakdown in the cultural / traditional systems.
[any four]

(b) Ways of reducing rural-urban migration in Ghana.

(i) Creation of more job opportunities in the rural areas
– to 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.

(ii) Attractive government incentives for 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.

(iii) Provision of more/ better social amenities in rural areas
– 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

(iv) Amendment of negative cultural practices
– Such as 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.

(v) Modernisation of agricultural industry 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.

(vi) Educating the rural populace on dangers involved with urban migration and opportunities in 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 three]

PART III
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

5. (a) Examples of secondary industries and their locations in Ghana.

SECONDARY INDUSTRIES LOCATION
(i) Oil refinery Tema
(ii) Breweries Accra, Kumasi
(iii) Orange / Pineapple Processing Accra, Nsawam, Kumasi
(iv) Wood Processing Kumasi, Mim, Oda, Takoradi
(v) Flour mills / Bakery Takoradi, Tema, Accra
(vi) Textile industry Tema, Juapong, Akosombo, Accra
(vii) Aluminium industry Accra, Tema
(viii) Cocoa processing Accra, Tema, Kumasi
(ix) Rubber processing Bonsa, Takoradi
(x) Cement industry Aflao, Takoradi, Tema
(xi) Steel industry Tema
(xii) Soap/ toiletries industry Tema, Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi
(xiii) Food Canning Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Nsawam
[any four]

(b) Contributions of secondary industries to the economy of Ghana. (i) Foreign Exchange Conservation
They help the country to earn and conserve foreign exchange – by exporting the secondary products

(ii) Economic Self-Reliance
They reduce the nation‟s over-reliance on foreign goods – by producing the goods that the nation would have otherwise imported from other countries

(iii) Value Addition
They add value to the basic / raw materials – which helps to generates more income for both the sector industries and the government.

(iv) Infrastructure Development
They help in the development of infrastructure – as part of their social responsibility programmes, the sector industries may help to provide various forms of infrastructure

(v) Job Creation
They create job opportunities for the people – by employing people with the right skills and training to work in the sector industries.

(vi) Reduction in rural-urban migration
They help to reduce the rural-urban migration – in the cases where production centres or branches or agencies are located in the rural areas.

(vii) Government Revenue Generation
They increase the income to the government – by the payments of taxes and other levies.

(viii) Reduction of post-harvest losses
They help to reduce the margins of post harvest loss – as raw materials are processed into finished and semi-finished products. [any four]

6. (a) Social problems facing Ghana today.
(i) Poverty / Unemployment / low standard of living
(ii) Poor health delivery, due to inadequate health facilities, equipment and personnel. (iii) Deadly diseases /infections, such as HIV/ AIDS, Malaria, Cholera, etc
(iv) Stigmatization of people living with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as HIV / AIDS
(v) High rates of accidents, including motor (or vehicular), domestic and industrial.
(vi) High incidence of theft / armed robbery. (vii) Heavy traffic jams in the urban areas
(viii) Outmoded cultural / traditional practices, such as, female genital mutilation (FGM), widowhood rites, etc
(ix) Child labour
(x) Overpopulation in urban areas due to rural-urban migration. (xi) Teenage pregnancy
(xii) Drug abuse
(xiii) High levels of illiteracy
(xiv) Insufficient social amenities
(xv) High political tension
[any four]

(b) Ways of minimizing it.

(i) Poverty / Unemployment / low standard of living
– Creation of more and better wealth creation projects
– Educating and encouraging people to save / invest more
– Promoting and facilitating entrepreneurship

(ii) Poor health delivery
– Building more health facilities, such as hospitals, clinics, medical laboratories, etc
– Proper maintenance of health facilities and equipment
– Government providing attractive incentives for health personnel, to motivate them to stay and work in the country

(iii) Deadly diseases /infections, such as HIV/ AIDS, Malaria, Cholera, etc

– Intensifying education on prevention and control
– Maintaining good sanitation and personal hygiene
– Regular medical checkups / tests and seeking early medical attention

(iv) Stigmatization of people living with Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) such as
HIV / AIDS
– Public education on possible effects of stigmatization on victims
– Letting people interact more with people living with Sexually Transmitted
Infections (STIs) such as HIV / AIDS

(v) High rates of accidents, including motor (or vehicular), domestic and industrial.
– Ensuring that only well trained and qualified/ licensed people are allowed to drive vehicle or operate machines and heavy equipment
– Taking safety precautions (such as wearing seat belts, protective clothing, working fire extinguishers) before starting the process
– Avoiding alcoholism / drunkenness while driving or working

(vi) High incidence of theft / armed robbery.
– Creating more job opportunities for the unemployed youth
– Discouraging the abuse of drugs among the youth.
– Taking more personal security precautions, such as locking all entrances, setting security alarms, employing security personnel / guard dogs, etc
– The security services embarking on campaigns to seize all unlicensed weapons
– Forming community watchdog groups
– Individuals reporting suspected criminals to the police.
– Resourcing the security services to operate more effectively
– Swift prosecution of suspected offenders
– Sufficient punishments for all guilty persons

(vii) Heavy traffic jams in the urban areas
– Constructing wider roads and expanding the road networks
– Increasing the quantity and improving the quality of mass public transport, such as buses and trains to encourage more people to park their private vehicles and use them.
– Checking the population growth in urban areas by taking steps to reduce the rural- urban migration.
– Encouraging more families, industries and workplaces to relocate to the countryside or less populated areas

(viii) Outmoded cultural / traditional practices, such as, female genital mutilation (FGM), widowhood rites, etc
– Educating the cultural / traditional leaders on the dangers / negative effects of the
practices
– Offering good suggestions on alternatives or modifications of the practices

– Offering incentives to the cultural / traditional leaders to motivate them to either stop or modify the practices.
– Legislation – making and enforcing laws that render the practices or some aspects of it illegal.

(ix) Child labour
– Public education on children‟s rights for both children and guardians.
– Educating potential child abusers (parents, teachers, guardians, etc) on consequences of child abuse on children and society
– Swift prosecution of suspected offenders (child abusers)
– Adequate punishments for all guilty parties.
– Strengthening of organizations and agencies responsible for children‟s rights (Ministry for Women and Children, DOVVSU, CHRAJ, etc) in order for them to function effectively.

(x) Overpopulation in urban areas
– Creation of more job opportunities in the rural areas
– Attractive government incentives for corporate bodies and firms to relocate to the countryside or less populated areas
– Provision of more/ better social amenities in rural areas
– Modification of negative cultural practices
– Modernisation of agricultural industry in the rural areas
– Educating the rural populace on dangers involved with urban migration and opportunities in rural areas.

(xi) Teenage pregnancy
– Abstinence from pre-marital sex by the youth / teenagers.
– Greater love, care and concern by parents / guardians for girl children
– Intensification of Religious and Moral Education in schools and churches
– Teenagers‟ avoidance of bad / immoral friends
– Provision of community recreational centres, where the youth can partake in healthy social / recreational activities.

(xii) High levels of illiteracy
– Building of more schools, vocational and technical centres, colleges, etc
– Enforcing the Free Compulsory Universal Basic Education. (FCUBE) for all children of school-going age.
– Providing free uniforms, feeding and learning materials to all school children who are
under-privileged
– Opening of more non-formal education centres to train older illiterates.

(xiii) Insufficient social amenities
– Construction of more and improved social amenities by both the government and charitable non-governmental organisations

Cultivation of a maintenance culture in the populace by constant education and practice
Ensuring proper usage and regular maintenance of available social amenities.
[any two for each]