UNIVERSITY OF MALTA SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE SEC RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE MAY 2016 EXAMINERS REPORT MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

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1 UNIVERSITY OF MALTA SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE SEC RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE MAY 2016 EXAMINERS REPORT MATRICULATION AND SECONDARY EDUCATION CERTIFICATE EXAMINATIONS BOARD

2 SEC Religious Knowledge May 2016 Session Examiners Report Part 1: STATISTICAL INFORMATION Table 1 shows the distribution of grades for the May 2016 session of the examination. GRADE U ABS TOTAL PAPER A PAPER B TOTAL % OF TOTAL Part 2: COMMENTS REGARDING CANDIDATES PERFORMANCE PAPER 1 Section A General Remarks This section included 25 questions that were within the syllabus framework. These questions tested the candidates on four strands of Religious Knowledge, i.e. the Religious Language, the Spiritual Dimension, the Word of God and the Personal Catholic Worldview. Both Paper A and B offered candidates the opportunity to assess themselves in the thematic study of Religion and their responses in the light of faith to fundamental questions of life. There was a noticeable difference between the level of Paper A and Paper B candidates. Many candidates sitting for Paper B showed insufficient knowledge about the subject. Two things seemed so clear. Some Candidates lacked analytic skills, while others possibly simply did not read the question properly. Candidates were required to exercise their ability to recall, to understand the text by comparing and interpreting knowledge as well as the critical perspective as to apply it to their daily life situations. In general, the questions were formulated to test the candidate s familiarity with the Bible, and Christian Doctrine and the Liturgy. The Paper contained factual, short and rather direct questions on basic elements. Question 1 Most of the candidates answered correctly by referring to God s love as shown through Jesus. Pertinent sayings by Jesus were considered correct. Nevertheless, some candidates had no idea what characterizes the core of Christianity. Question 2 More than half of of the students answered this question correctly. References were made to the creation narrative from Genesis or some episodes from Exodus. Some students were not able to distinguish between the Old and the New Testament. Some were evidently confused when describing the Trinity. Question 3 Students were requested to reflect not simply about God in himself, being great and almighty, but also about the mystery of becoming incarnate through Jesus Christ. Most students answered only half the question and thus earning half the marks allotted.

3 Question 4 Most candidates answered correctly. Students explained clearly that God s love towards humans can be compared to the love of a father towards his children. With regard to (b), some of the candidates were confused and mentioned another sacrament. However, a good number rightly mentioned Baptism. Question 5 Many students answered St. Paul s, others said the Corinthians, and some said Jesus. Then, many gave a relatively coherent answer regarding a spiritual maturity, even though quite a number simply wrote about human development. Question 6 The majority gave the correct answer. Generally, those who answered the first part correctly had no difficulty answering the second part. Some, candidates showed that they do not know what the Christian profession of faith is. Question 7 Most of the candidates failed to answer correctly. Only few candidates referred to Christ as the mediator of the centre of Christianity. Moreover, only some recognized this formula used in the sacrifice of the Mass. Nevetheless, most of the candidates, knew the meaning of Amen. Question 8 Many students gave the correct answer. Others confused the two commandments passed on by Jesus for the first two commandments of the Decalogue. Question 9 Most candidates answered correctly. Only a few forgot to put the four individuals in chronological order. With regard to the literary forms, most of the candidates did answer well, but some only gave examples of literary forms. Question 10 Most of candidates answered this question correctly by giving examples on how God helped them in their lives. On the whole, there were favourable answers to the word of God as being alive and active. Many candidates gave various positive and good answers to this question. They were able to understand the question and apply the Word of God to their daily life situation. Question 11 Only a few students managed to write the name of four prophets. Most of the candidates showed that they do not know what prophets are. Some even mentioned the four evangelists. Question 12 Answers generally correct. The first part was well answered while in the second part most candidates concentrated on the effect pride has on the relationship with others. However, most of the candidates gave the definition of pride and not why pride is a bad attitude.

4 Question 13 There was a variety of answers, but the majority expressed incorrect answers. Obviously, those who got the correct answer managed to compare Moses to Jesus as leader and liberator and Law-giver. But some got it wrong. Question 14 Most of the candidates know which the ninth commandment is but only a few gave the correct interpretation of the tenth commandment. For many, You shall not covet your neighbours wife means do not commit adultery. Question 15 Many good answers in which students wrote about the strong character of Jesus when faced with difficulties, giving also good examples from the Gospels. Then, a lot of answers were weak showing a lack of knowledge of the extraordinary man that Jesus was in his encounters with so many different people. Question 16 Some gave a good answer and wrote that Jesus founded the Church so that she would continue his mission among the peoples of the world and to spread his teachings. Some however interpreted this question incorrectly. Most of the candidates answered by giving examples of the charisms we find in our Christian Communities. Question 17 Most of the candidates gave an explanation of the words Jesus said to the adulterous woman after he forgave her sins. Nonetheless, very few of the students referred to the Gospel story of the woman caught in adultery. They just explained the quotation given by saying that after being forgiven, someone is telling another one that he/she must not sin any more. Question 18 Most of the candidates answered correctly. Unfortunately, there were some who mistakenly stated that in the Eucharist, we receive the body of God and not the body of Jesus. Certainly, at this level, candidates should know the difference and capable of making a distinction between God and Jesus. Question 19 Though the majority answered the question correctly, many of them wrote a generic idea. Some answers were weak, lacking substabnce and being rather a repetition of the question itself. Question 20 Some confused it with baptism or even with marriage. Many replied correctly and referred to the Sacrament of Confirmation, and provided some good illustrations of its effect. Some mistakenly mentioned the three effects of baptism instead. Question 21 Very few referred to life being a gift of God or that God has given us a purpose or that Jesus came to give us life abundantly.

5 Question 22 A small number actually gave in good answers but the majority had no idea of these Church documents. The most popular were Rerum Novarum, Laborem exercens, Centesimus annus and Gaudium et Spes. A few mentioned also Pope s Francis Laudato Si! Question 22 Half of the candidates were able to name four important documents where the Church addresses the situation of the workers at the workplace. However, those who weren t able to mention at least one document in question (a), were not able to answer part (b). Question 23 Most of the candidates were able to say that marriage is a commitment and that both parties need to be faithful to each other. Many students wrote about the commitment one needs to put into a marriage in order for it to be successful. Explanation of the term agape was enough. Question 24 Most of the candidates answered this question correctly. Only a few were unable to differentiate between God and Jesus. Inaccurately, these candidates stated that God came to earth and died on the cross. Question 25 Mostly gave a good acceptable answer. Jesus is the one who helps humans in their daily-life burdens. General Remarks Section B In this section, the candidates had to assimilate their general Religious Knowledge and to translate it into meaningful reflection that makes sense for everyday living. The candidates performed fairly and marks varied a great deal. Overall, Paper A candidates answered most questions correctly with a high percentage of them obtaining more than 15 marks (out of 25). Paper B candidat es answered in brief, without giving too much detail to explain the answer given. Questions 2 and 5 of Section B proved to be the most difficult. There were even a small amount of candidates who made reference to the second Encyclical Letter Laudato Si written by Pope Francis. Question 1 In this question, the candidates were asked to explain why every human being is bound to protect God s creation and make good use of it. Most candidates answered this question correctly. A small but significant number mentioned the encyclical letter Laudato Si and therefore showed the ability to apply knowledge from outside the syllabus. Many gave more than one option on how to respect creation. Most of the answers were of exceptional quality. The candidates showed that they have a high awareness of the environment and the human duty to safegaurd it, but only the very few showed how to improve it. Question 2 Only a few candidates were able to explain the difference between religious truth and scientific truth. Those who were not able to make this distinction were not even capable of answering correctly the second part of this question, where they had to make references from the Bible as an example. Many of the answers lacked depth. Others went completely off track stating that faith and science can never be

6 complimentary. Candidates making reference to pertinent documents such as Fides et Ratio were rewarded. Question 3 The majority gave a good answer and a good description as well. Most of the candidates referred to the narrative where Jesus showed interest in the forgiveness of sinners. The most quoted episodes were the ones of Zaccheus and that of the woman caught in adultery. Others mentioned Jesus forgiving his persecutors on the cross. Most candidates gave a good answer and narrated one of the many events in which Jesus showed his focus and love to sinners. Question 4 To the question Why do Christians see the Resurrection of Jesus from the death as the highest event of his life? many candidates answered quite well. Other candidates wrote about the mystery of the death of Christ to save us and left out the real point of the question: why Jesus resurrection is the greatest event of his life! Very few mentioned how it is the principal proof of Jesus divinity or the basis of our faith in eternal life or that it showed his Lordship over death and evil. Question 5 Some were able to show the connection between the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist. Many gave a detailed description of the importance for the Christian needs to go to mass and take part in the Eucharist without making any reference to the first part. Many wrote that in order to be prepared to receive the body of Christ you need first to understand his message. They are linked to each other because the words and the body are of the same Jesus. Some hardly understood that the table of the Word is the Liturgy of the Word and so did not give an acceptable answer. General Remarks Section C Most answers were correct and to the point. By and large, this section seemed the eastiest to answer. It revolved around one s attitude. Students had to express their thoughts and feelings about the Gospel and life after death. This section offered interest and enthusiasm for the study of Religion and the relationship between Religion, the Gospel and life after death. They had the occasion to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of Religion by exploring the impact of beliefs, teachings, practices, ways of life and forms of expressing meaning. They had the occasion to express their personal responses and informed insights on fundamental Religious questions. First Text a) There were many good answers. Some confused an adjective for a noun. The correct answer was precious, and not treasure. For the majority, it was an easy question and most of the candidates deduced the answer from the text. b) Most of the candidates answered this correctly, but some students had no idea what the expression means. c) Many candidates gave a good answer. The most common attitudes mentioned were: respect, faith, open heart and mind, love and courage. Others answered with an open mind and heart reproducing the words from the given passage. d) On the whole, most candidates showed that they understood the question and answered it correctly. e) Mostly, candidates gave good examples on how to bring the Gospel (or at least, its values) to others. Some made reference to how one can share Jesus teachings with non-believers. Most candidates had the opportunity to draw on various examples.

7 Second Text a) Most of the candidates know what is heaven and some of them also gave quotations from the Bible. In general, most of the candidates gave acceptable answers but very little depth. Although most showed that Purgatory is part of the afterlife and that it is not Heaven or Hell very few showed an understanding of what purification is. A few mentioned the importance of the prayers of the living for the souls in Purgatory. b) Many simply re-worded the question without giving a valid answer. For those who read and understood the text, the answer was easy to give. c) Mostly gave good answers. This proved to be a difficult question. Living in hell on earth for many candidates meant living a miserable life, while living in heaven on earth means living a cosy life. Many however spoke of a fundamental option, although none of them mentioned the term as such. d) Only some gave a correct answer. Very few spoke of the power of Baptism in us, or the power of the Eucharist, or the reason why Jesus gave us his Holy Spirit to be the Life-Giver. e) Most candidates answered this question correctly. Some candidates were not awarded full marks because their answer was very brief. Unfortunatly some repeated what they wrote in (d). General Remarks Paper 2A The paper covered five of the main areas of the syllabus, giving an opportunity to all candidates to show their knowledge of the subject. Although a higher level of Religious Knowledge and better essay-writing skills are desirable, most of the candidates were well prepared. Regrettably, the biggest factor in losing marks is irrelevance. Candidates should answer the question they choose, rather than go off at a tangent. The key for high-grade work is critical analysis, that is, arguments that lead up to an appropriate conclusion. Question 4 was the most chosen question. Questions 3 and 5 were the least answered in a correct manner. Question 1 This concerned the reality of sin, its origin and its consequences and its remedy. Most students chose this as their first preference. a) Most candidates answered in a sufficient manner regarding the meaning of what we find in Genesis 3. They described the Fall and explained the symbols (some in a detailed manner and others in a superficial manner). Very few explained the real meaning of the act of eating from the forbidden tree. It seems that many did not bother to read the whole question and left this part out or just wrote a line or two without explaining anything. Some candidates were confused in giving the symbols of the narrative and their meaning. b) Some answers depicted the symbolic consequences without explaining them. Some described and explained the real consequences of sin which still permeate our daily experience. Very few gave a good rendering of other events from Genesis which manifests the spread of sin in the world. Many explained quite clearly the consequences and a big number wrote the separation from god, others, himself, nature. The second part was less answered and it was on a general level. c) This was a higher level question as it combined unit 3 with unit 4 (the topics of sin and salvation). Very few students understood the question since many students just narrated the exodus event not realising that the question referred to the Book of Exodus with so many experiences of God s quest to save and deliver.

8 Question 2 This concerned the value of life. Most questions are properly addressed, however, reference to the Catholic moral teaching is seriously lacking. Some answered this question as their second preference. a) Most of the candidates answered the question correctly mentioning five pro-life related issues and five others that are against. The most common are those mentioned in the exam paper itself. Those who wrote in detail about these issues were not many. Very few mentioned the environment or scientific progress or social work with abandoned children and senior citizens or work against domestic violence. b) Being issues that are commonly discussed in society and even among the young generation in many fora, all three issues (abortion, euthanasia and drug abuse) were clearly discussed. What seemed lacking is a good and sound knowledge of Catholic moral teaching about these issues. c) Many candidates simply re-worded their (b) answer tackling only abortion, euthanasia and drug abuse. Very few mentioned vandalism, pollution, uncontrolled hunting and fishing, acts of revenge, animal welfare and so on. Question 3 This concerned the Church in contemporary society. Very few tackled this topic. a) A large amount of students gave the three examples with their meaning, but a number of candidates did not explain in detail the second part of the question. A lot confused the images with the marks of the Church (one, holy, catholic and apostolic). Some an swers were correct giving a good description of parables such as the mustard seed, the vine and the branches, the shepherd and the flock, the net, the field. Some mentioned the allegory of the Body which is used by St. Paul showing their unawareness or ignorance that the question asked about images that Jesus used. A relative minority was not able to discuss the three images that Jesus used to describe the church. b) Most answers described superficially the image of unity of the body. Rarely can one find a reflection on the importance of the diversity of works, charisms, ministries and other functions in the real Church. Rarely does one find an answer describing the importance of every baptized person within the Church. The unity (oneness) is sometimes menti oned. Unfortunately, some students were not able to integrate knowledge from the syllabus. c) This part was very popular and the vast majority wrote in detail about today s marginalised. Most candidates gave answers without much thought. They referred to non-government organisations and voluntary work which is philanthropic in nature, but not necessarily an expression of Church life and work. Very few mentioned the Church s involvement in homes for the elderly, abandoned children, prisioners and ex-prisoners and their families, missionary work and so on. Mentioned, as expected, were drugrelated works. Question 4 This concerned the topic of love especially in a marriage setting. For many, this was a favourite. This question was attempted by three students out of four. a) Some candidates explained the three types of love eros, filia and agape. Very few answered the question itself, namely why does St. John s Gospel emphasise the word agape to describe Christian love. Hardly anyone mentioned the washing of the feet. Many described the death of Christ as the ultimate form of unconditional love. Very, very few mentioned the agape love of the Blessed Trinity as model of Christian relationships. One or two mentioned the hymn of love found in 1Corinthians 13. b) The aims of love in matrimony were often confused with the characteristics of marriage (unity and indissolubility). Many candidates explained well the two aims giving appropriate examples of love in marriage both regarding the unity of the couple and the procreation and the holistic education of the children. On the whole, they were good answers. Others only mentioned the properties of marriage, namely unity, fidelity and indissolubilty with no reference to the question. Some of the other answers were a sort of discussion about married life and its hardships and difficulties.

9 c) Most candidates answered the question by describing well family situations that put in peril both the marriage and the family. Lacking was a critical overview of current trends in our society which are undermining God s design for marriage and family. Regarding solutions inspired by the Christian message, these were few and lacking depth. Question 5 This concerned the mystery of the Eucharist and how it is life-giving. Very few tackled this theme. This question was the least answered. a) The majority who answered this question, answered it correctly. The keywords here were worship and unity. The answer had to explain both expressions as fundamental realities of the Eucharist. Very few understood how both Tables (Word and Eucharist) are essential to the Christian life as the highest form of worship, our public and communal celebration. Very few mentioned any part of the Mass which manifests worship or unity. Most answers revolved around the obligation of going to Mass on Sunday. A lot tried to show the relationship between Reconciliation and the Eucharist. b) There were some interesting answers which compared what Jesus did during the Last Supper and what we celebrate during Mass. But, hardly anyone mentioned the words of Consecration or the symbolic reference to Jesus as the Sacrificial Lamb, or Bread that is broken, or Christ s offering of his life to the Father for our benefit. The concept of sacrifice was hardly ever mentioned or explained. This proved to be the most difficult of the three parts. c) Although the question was a great help, very few candidates understood the concept of offering. So, the answers were superficial. Giving of oneself, of one s time and talents, offering our sufferings and hardships these seem to be beyond the understanding of the candidates who chose to answer this question. Thanksgiving and praise did not enter the picture. Justice and solidarity were mentioned but hardly with a Christian meaning. Most candidates concentrated simply on the tasks of justice and solidarity. Paper 2B General Remarks Around 60% of the candidates answered the questions in the form of paragraphs, as requested by the examiner. Although many tried to answer in detail, their knowledge on the subject was very limited. Some candidates answered very briefly. Some did not even answer the 10 questions. Most of the candidates answered the questions without any form of acquintance to the SEC material. Unfortunealy, there were also a remarkable number of candidates who failed to turn up for the exam. Question 1 Most of the candidates were not able to show the relevance and the connection between religion and spirituality. For some of the candidates, religion equals mass. The main trait of religion was illustrated to be a sure guideline of good and evil, especially in the Christian (and Jewish) religions with the Ten Commandments. Those who took religion to mean a Christian religion referred to the message of love preached by Jesus, while others referred to the gift of forgiveness. Only a handful of candidates referred to religion as dealing with the fundamental questions of life: the past, present and future of our being. But the majority preferred to refer to the Christian religion as it is the religion they know best.

10 Question 2 Half of the candidates were able to give a proper explanation of how the biblical authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Others are not aware who the biblical authors are, or how they were inspired. For most of the candidates, the Bible is the work of Mark, Matthew, John and Luke. At any rate, some were quick to assert that God is the primary author and the human hagiographers as secondary authors. Very few spoke of the literary forms, and nearly no one referred to the Bible as the Word of God because it also contains God s events in history. It was rather striking to see such a poor response about biblical inspiration when over-all the candidates this year proved that they had a better grasp of the Bible than previous years. Question 3 A large number of candidates answered this question by giving the narrative of Adam and Eve and their fall into sin as found in the book of Genesis without giving explanations of how this effected humanity. The explanation of the biblical truth that the sin of the first human beings is the source of evil and its growth in the world meant that many commented or merely narrated the sin of the first human beings as in Genesis. Contemporary evil was taken to entail wars, injustices at the place of work and elsewhere, polution and the like. Sin was perceived on a more general and social level. Question 4 Most of the candidates gave quite a satisfactory answer. They made reference to the various actions God took to show that He was close to the Israelites. The providential hand of God was the concrete way of God s interest in humanity s welfare. Such a perception lead the majority of candidates to mention how God provided for his people in their journey out of slavery, giving them water, mannah and quail on one hand and leading them with columns of fire and cloud on the other. Some also saw in the Decalogue a providential guideline to live by in order to attain true happiness. Others were out of subject because they referred only to God s assistance to human beings with no reference to the book of Exodus. The majority of the replies were written well, to the point and satisfactory. Question 5 Some candidates did not understand the question. They had to show who Jesus was and how he saved humanity from sin. Some of them stuck to the personality of Jason without making any reference to the humanity and divinity of Jesus. Very few lines on who was Jesus, and more in depth how he saved all human beings. Jesus was depicted as Son of God and Son of Man, and how he helped people and especially healed the sick and the down-trodden. He gave up his life on the cross to save humanity from the slavery of sin, but it seems that the plan of salvation does not flow, then, to his resurrection. Some commented how the conversion of Jason was not based on teaching but on his personal meeting with Jesus, a meeting which changed his life. Question 6 Although there were several good answers of how the Church is the family of God, Very few candidates gave a correct answer. For most, the Church is the place where believers, as a community, gather together and celebrate mass. None of the candidates was able to explain why the Church is called The New People of God. The notion that we gather as one Family in Church for worship was also contemplated. But the idea that the Church is the new People of God was quite foreign to the candidates and no reference was made to its continuation with the old People of God. The idea of newness, for so many, meant that the Church always adds new members to its fold through baptism and this is what renders her new. Reference on being brothers and sisters in Christ through baptism was hardly made and emphasized.

11 Question 7 It Is clear that most candidates enjoyed answering this question. The discussion that prevailed was that John s action was quite generous and honourable, not even opening the bag to check inside about its contents. The civil duty was easily explained, and the uniqueness today of John s behaviour, whereby very few would follow in his footsteps, was noticed by the majority of comments. Otherwise, commented as equivalent to stealing. Some even compared John to Jesus who acted out of generous love toward his neighbor. Question 8 Although most of the candidates answered this correctly, it is clear that some still need to undertsnad the full sense of the Lord s Day. The celebration of the Eucharist, in the answers, entails mainly to go to Mass and go to confession. Few added spending time with family and rest. The spiritual side needs certainly be complemented by the human, anthropological and the cultural side and vice versa. Question 9 Some of the candidates answered this question without making any reference to the role of the Christian citizen. They answered the question as if they were sitting for the Social Studies exam. The Christian s role as a citizen in political activity meant, for a few, to use widely their God-given right to vote, others to bring peace, act with sincerity and no greed. Corruption is to be avoided, and instead politics should favour the poor. Interestingly enough, only one candidate mentioned single mothers among the poor in need, contrary to the replies of a similar question some years back. On the whole, rather poor answers regarding politics and its role in society, let alone the contribution of a Christian citizen. Question 10 Most of the candidates answered this correctly. Only a few were not able to make a distinction between Baptism and Confirmation. Confirmation as a continuation in the maturity process of faith, confirming the baptismal committment, was overwhelmingly asserted. Quite a good preparation for the understanding of both sacraments of initiation. Question 11 Very few candidates explained how the Church helps the sick through the Anointing of the Sick. Many answers were not really on target and some candidates stated that the Church collects money to help the poor and those in need. Others stated that the Church celebrates mass for those in need and for the elderly. Many did not seem to understand this question and replied and illustrated Jesus or the Church s dealing with the sick, then and now. Hospitals and visiting the sick were enumerated mostly, especially by the priest. No real undestanding of the Sacrament of the Sick, which was mainly attributed to be administered when one is close to death, far from the teaching of Vatican II. Question 12 Unfortunately, many anwers to this question were out of point. Instead of giving examples of how work should be a way of development in solidarity, these candidates named two of the objectives why man should work. Excessive emphasis on the rights that workers have at the workplace was beyond the point. Two examples of how work is a way of development in solidarity were scarse, and many a time the candidates referred merely to the role of work to gain a good wage for oneself and the upbringing of the family. The solidarity of work was missing.

12 Question 13 Most of the candidates answered this question correctly. Here, the candidates were requested to Identify and explain the good reasons for which one should enter marriage. Although students were not always voluminous in their answers, nevertheless, the idea of love was supreme. They referred to the sharing of one s life and the support of the significant other. Procreation and upbringing of children were named as the fruit of love, although very few wrongly assumed that the procreation of children is the first aim of marriage. At times the idea of two people ingeneral who love one another took the place of man and woman loving one another, leaving in doubt or at least obscure what the candidate really meant. Some were also blunt in answering that even marriage between the same sexes was not only a marriage, but also accepted by the Church today. But those who replied correctly showed that they had a good preparation of what marriage stood for. The primary vocation of the human being is to love. The spouses love each other with a generous and disinterested love. Question 14 The role of the Holy Spirit and his identity were fairly illustrated by the candidates, especially how his identity is found in the Scriptures. As the Spirit of God, the giver and Lord of life, Grace and equivalants were present throughout all the answers. His role as Guide and Teacher was evident for the everyday life of a Christian. All in all, good replies which indicate that the candidates have a clear knowledge of who this divine Person is and his revealing and strengthening role is for today s Christian. Only a relative minroty gave a confusing answer. Some simply described the Holy Spirit in terms of biblical imagery. Chairperson Examiners Panel 2016