Paper 3 – Essay | 2020 BECE English Studies

2020 JSCE/BECE English Studies Essay Past Question 1

(585 words)

Debate: “The Internet is a Better Source of Information than Textbooks.”

Good afternoon Mr Chairman, Moderator, impartial Panel of Judges, accurate timekeeper, co-debaters and my fellow students. I am Fola Aderin, I am a JS3 student at the International School, Ibadan and I would like to support the motion which states, “The internet is a better source of Information than textbooks”.

I would like to begin by defining both the Internet and Textbooks. The Internet is a worldwide system of Computer Networks, it is a network of networks in which users at any one computer (if they have permission) can get information from any other computer while a Textbook is a book that teaches a particular subject and is used especially in schools and colleges. I support the statement that the Internet is better than Textbooks because if I need to do research on a particular topic – with the Internet, I can get information from multiple sources in a short amount of time and checking these multiple sources on the Internet will cost me less than if I had to check the information using multiple textbooks. With Textbooks, I would have to buy each one which would cost a lot of money or sign-up to be a member of a Library which would take time.

Also, with a textbook you have to rely on the information given by the writer which might be hard to verify, whereas with the Internet it is easy to verify and crosscheck all the information provided simply by typing a few keywords in the search tab and the information I seek will be readily available. Information on the Internet is usually visibly more attractive to a student than a Textbook – information on the Internet is usually supported with Images that are presented in a modern manner, whereas Textbooks usually contain long writeups with very little Imagery.

The continuous use and production of textbooks can also be harmful to the environment. This is because textbooks are made of paper. Paper is processed from wood pulp which is gotten from the destruction of trees. The Conservation of Trees and Forests is a Global concern right now. We need to help save our Forests globally, using less paper will directly affect the felling of trees. If we as a society use less paper, it will reduce the need for the destruction of trees and forests. Textbooks are also wasteful – they are usually not transferred from one student to another. This is because the quality of textbooks always decreases with time – students write in their textbooks, and with general wear and tear, text and images become faint over time. Even in a family, it is unlikely that if an older sibling has used a textbook his younger siblings will use that same Textbook when they get to the same class. The textbook will usually be discarded and a new one will be bought for the younger siblings when the time comes to use that same Textbook as long as the family can afford it, this is quite wasteful. With the Internet, the information will be easily transferrable, all the older sibling will have to do is tell his/her younger siblings the site they got the information from, there is no waste here.

I hope you have found my debate both entertaining and informative and with the points I have made I have been able to convince you and not confuse you that the Internet is a better source of Information than Textbooks. Thank you!

2020 JSCE/BECE English Studies Essay Past Question 2

(520 words)

132, Solomon Way (opp. Chevron Bus stop),
Lekki – Ajah Express way,
Lekki Peninsula II,
Lekki,
Lagos.
19th July, 2020.

Dear Mrs. Isebor,

How are you and your family doing? I hope this letter finds you well and your family is doing great. I was glad to hear you are still teaching at Ireti Memorial Primary School. I really enjoyed my time at that school, the teaching and non-teaching staff were kind and pleasant to us students. Now that I am in Secondary School sometimes I miss my Primary School days but I am happy I made the grades to get into the Secondary School of my choice. I am now a proud Jss3 student of Federal Government College, Ijanikin in Lagos State.

You were such a good teacher, you really helped me understand subjects I didn’t understand before. You taught me Mathematics, Basic Science and Quantitative Reasoning in Primary 5 and 6. I really enjoyed your classes – you were always very patient with us students especially when we had problems understanding a new topic. I remember you used to say, “There is no stupid question, the only stupid question is the question you don’t ask”, this really made me feel comfortable enough to raise my hand in class and ask questions. Asking questions in your class has given me the confidence to ask questions now that I am in Secondary School. Sometimes my classmates tell me I ask too many questions but you have shown me that it is important to ask questions to be clear on topics I don’t understand. This has really helped me do well in school, I am always in the top 10 of my class but I am working hard to be in the top 5.

I enjoyed the different topics you taught us in Basic Science, you really made the classes very informative and interesting. You would always tell our class how we could use Science to help our environment, I try to practice the things you taught us every day like recycling, keeping my environment clean and reducing the waste coming from my home. I am now very interested in Science and want to become a Paediatric Nurse in the future. I know I will have to study hard in Secondary School and University but I am excited about being a Nurse. I plan on doing very well in my JSCE Exams so I can make the grades to become a Science student and pursue my preferred career. I know it will be tough but I remember you used to say “Nothing worth having is easy” so I plan to study hard and do everything I can to make sure I am successful. I would also love to use Science to help children just like you helped me and I will be able to do that with this job.

I just want to thank you for taking the time to teach me, inspiring me and making me the confident student that I am today. I know that you will continue to help and be an inspiration to many students. God Bless you and your family.

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Richards.