Full question: The Singapore government should do more to increase the support for local sports. Do you agree? Why/why not?
Source: Fairfield Methodist Sec 4 Prelim 2024 [1184-01]
Question type: Argumentative
Approach: I view this as an argumentative as you are asked whether something should be done — it is a clear “yes/no” question. Additionally, be careful with the phrasing of the question.
There is also a rather devious phrasing trap in this question. It asks what the government can do to “increase the support“, rather than “support“. This small phrasing difference in effect asks us, “what can the government do to make different parts of Singapore society support local sports more?” This means we look at how bodies like education, sporting communities, parents etc interact with local sports. I explore the angles of the DSA in education, the association of sports with noise in the heartlands, and the need to overturn a sense of apathy within our general community.
Model Essay
The Kallang Roar, once a symbol of Singapore’s sporting spirit and heritage, is now a bittersweet reminder of “what we once were”. Today, it feels like our setbacks only fuel the narrative that “the government is not doing enough”, despite enacted policies, grants, and constructed infrastructure demonstrating otherwise. However, I feel the government also needs to relook at how it engages Singaporeans when it comes to support for local sports.
| Notes: Open this essay by discussing the current state of how Singaporeans view sports. This introduction discusses how the government already has a range of measures to support the sports, but that it needs to do one more thing – get Singaporeans to support local sports. | |
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
| Bittersweet | A mixture of sadness and happiness |
| Enact(ed) | To put something (often policy/law) into action |
| Grants | Money from the government, given to a person/organisation for a special purpose |
| Engage | To connect with / reach out (often to a large group of people) |
In school, initiatives like co-curricular activities and avenues like National School Games (NSG) and Direct School Admission (DSA) were started to nurture students’ potentials through non-academic paths like sports. Yet, recent reporting suggests that the fixation on academic excellence has warped this intended purpose, with families now wielding the DSA to secure admission to “better schools”. This means that sports participation is now done with an underlying motive of furthering academic aspirations. There are even DSA coaching courses on the market that help students secure DSA placements, which shows the ends that parents are willing to go to “invest” in their children’s futures. For the government to promote support for local sports, it first needs to show parents that sports and education can coexist, rewriting the existing academic-centric narrative.
| Notes: This topic is not an easy one as it requires you to read widely on a range of topics and connect them to sports / government policy. This particular paragraph discusses the education system here, as well as parenting mindsets in Singapore. We set out what the DSA is, its original goals, and what has become of it today. | |
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
| initiative | A plan or action to improve something or solve a problem |
| Fixation | The state of being unable to stop thinking about something/someone. This is the abstract noun form; the verb form is “fixate”. |
| Warp | To cause something/someone to no longer do what is typical or right (imagine twisting what is “correct” out of shape) |
| Wield | To hold a tool, as though one is going to use it |
| Motive | A reason for doing something (often a negative connotation) |
| Centric | “Centred around something”; often, you will need to attach it to something else, forming a compound word (example: academic-centric focus, child-centric content) |
Local sports can also thrive only with a supportive community that views sporting as a cornerstone of a vibrant neighbourhood, rather than a nuisance to be curbed. The recent pickleball noise dispute is the clearest manifestation of this current divide. Town councils, in response to a deluge of complaints, prohibited pickleball games in public courts; there was even one documented instance of a man physically obstructing a game. Our government has to encourage residents and sports participants within our community to meet each other halfway and nip the continued spread of “us-versus-them” mindsets in the bud.
| Notes: Similar to the previous part, you need to link observations of broader society to this topic. In this case, we talk about how communities, particularly in housing estates, generally view sports negatively due to the inconvenience it poses, and suggest that this is one reason why support for local sports is not present. | |
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
| Cornerstone | A very important and fundamental part of a plan. This comes from the fact that it describes the first stone forming a corner of a building. |
| Curbed | Restrict / control the amount of |
| Manifestation | Appearance (of an event/occurrence) |
| Deluge | A large, overwhelming amount of something (often uncountable, like phone calls or water) |
| Document(ed) | Recorded |
| Meet [someone] halfway | To strike a compromise / agreement with the other party |
| Nip [something] in the bud | To stop a problem before it can develop further |
| Us-versus-them | Disagreement and/or differences, often within different groups in society. |
At the end of the day, whenever yet another sporting setback is reported in the news, tongues invariably begin to wag. Why the fixation on sports? Indeed, it bring about no tangible benefit at first glance to a Singapore that is already an economic powerhouse, boasting efficient infrastructure and stable governance. However, this view is a short-sighted one. Singapore wields much “hard power” but is sorely lacking in the “soft power” department which encompasses cultural exports or sporting excellence. Soft power is what helps Singapore to be respected, rather than feared, in a diplomatic setting. Singapore thus has a vested interest in supporting our sporting scene, so that we can punch above our weight on the global stage. Her government, at least, seems aware of this. However, her people are not. The government now needs to foster this culture of support to close this gap.
| Notes: In your counterargument, be sure not to contradict yourself. This counterargument sets out that supporting local sporting does not seem important on the surface – yet, that is not the case. We then describe “soft power”, which comes from cultural exports. For example, Korea has Kpop and Kdramas; many singers we listen to, like Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish, come from the USA. We contrast this with “hard power” – economic and military might, which countries all employ to varying extents (and degrees of success as well, but this is a story for another day). | |
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
| Tongues wagging | Describing many people talking about something (often negative/gossiping) |
| Invariably | With certainty (“without variation”) |
| Tangible | Something that can be perceived; concrete / real |
| Powerhouse | Having great power; a source of influence |
| Infrastructure | A system of public works within a country |
| Governance | The act/process of overseeing control. Often for a country’s government, or a company (“corporate governance”) |
| Sorely | Greatly; severely |
| Department | In this essay’s context it means “a category” |
| Encompasses | Covers or include as part of a group |
| Vested interest | A reason to maintain/cause a favourable condition (often for personal gain) |
Singapore can build (or repurpose) as many stadiums and sports facilities as it wants. The flames of passion for sports still burn for many Singaporeans. However, is the rest of Singapore ready to support them? The government must now look at how it can encourage a broader societal buy-in, before this candle in the wind extinguishes for good.
| Notes: Sum up your essay at the end and emphasise your point that the government needs to try to get the people to support local sports, before any remaining interest is truly extinguished for good. | |
| Word/Phrase | Meaning |
| Buy-in | Acceptance and support for something, such as a cause or goal |
| Candle in the wind | Something that is fragile or vulnerable, and easily put in danger |
(499 words)
Disclaimer: This essay was created for the purposes of language assessment and is not intended to be an opinion article.