Date | May 2014 | Marks available | 2 | Reference code | 14M.1.bp.2 |
Level | SL and HL | Paper | 1 | Time zone | |
Command term | State | Question number | 2 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
2. Disparities in wealth and development
The graph shows the progress towards meeting three sub-targets of the 2015 Millennium Development Goals in developing countries.
(i) With reference to the graph, identify which sub-target was furthest from being met in 2008.
(ii) State the Millennium Development Goal to which the sub-target you identified in part (i) relates.
State any two other Millennium Development Goals that are not represented in these graphs.
Suggest two reasons why primary school enrollment as a percentage has increased.
Explain two reasons why aid may not help reduce disparities.
Markscheme
(i) With reference to the graph, identify which sub-target was furthest from being met in 2008. [1]
Target C / Pregnant women attended at least once by medical personnel.
(ii) State the Millennium Development Goal to which the sub-target you identified in part (i) relates. [1]
Improve maternal health or Millennium Development Goal 5.
Any two of the following:
- reduce child mortality
- promote gender equality and empower women
- combat disease (HIV, AIDS, malaria)
- environmental sustainability
- global partnership
- eradicate hunger (allow even though with poverty).
The responses do not have to have this exact wording, eg “combat HIV” would be acceptable as would “sustainability” and “cooperation between countries”.
Award [1+1 marks] for each valid/distinct reason, provided that it is developed by means of detail and/or exemplification.
Possibilities include:
- countries or regions abolishing school fees/eg Kenya abolished primary school fees in 2003
- increased urbanization/increasing access to services such as schools
- schools offering meals/attracting students from families with low food security
- improved sanitation/attracting more girls
- improved infrastructure/ increases access.
eg Some governments are starting to prioritize education and are increasing funding [1 mark] this results in more schools being built increasing overall enrollment [1 mark].
Award [1 mark] for each basic explanation, with additional [1 mark] for extension and/or exemplification.
Aid can be interpreted broadly – allow food, emergency and financial aid.
Possibilities include:
- increases dependency/especially food aid eg Ethiopia
- corruption/aid may be utilized by an elite and not filter down to those who need it
- may be tied aid/conditions attached
- if aid is financial/it could increase the debt burden
- aid may be too short-term/does not have the duration to be effective
- top-down aid projects/may not target the poorest communities.
Examiners report
(i) The majority of the candidates correctly interpreted the graph and chose C.
(ii) Lots of different answers here; some were sub-targets rather than the correct MDG “improve maternal health”. Some answers mistakenly selected gender equality or reduced infant mortality linked indirectly to pregnant women in graph C. Some just quoted the information on the graph which again showed a lack of awareness of this MDG.
Responses here showed that candidates either knew the MDGs or they did not. As the MDGs underlie the entire core theme it was quite surprising how many candidates were unable to identify any.
Some strong responses here with excellent development and/or exemplification such as some governments scrapping school fees (eg Kenya), or improvements in sanitation provided at school encouraging increased attendance by girls, or building schools in rural areas making them more accessible. Vague responses such as May 2014 subject reports Group 3 - Geography “parents think it is important” were not credited. Some candidates were not able to appreciate the importance of “percentage” used in the question.
On the whole this was well answered. The best responses identified the type of aid they were referring to. For example, financial aid from the IMF leading to the problem of indebtedness or food aid leading to dependency or saturating local markets and hindering local agricultural production. On rare occasions a candidate wrote about AIDS as opposed to aid. Corruption and dependency were often cited as reasons but were not well developed, also statements such as “people in poor countries are uneducated and so do not know how to use aid” were not credited.