A-LEVEL GEOGRAPHY
EDEXCEL
HEALTH, HUMAN RIGHTS AND
INTERVENTION
PRACTICE QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
Practice questions + answers
8A.1
Explain one way in which education can help economic development (4)
Education can help economic development through increasing the productivity of the workers. If
more people are able to go to schools and universities and get a good education, then they will
have the knowledge to be able to work in more profitable sectors like finance or
pharmaceuticals, and contribute to higher GDP in their country.
Explain how access to education may vary between countries (6)
Access to education will vary between countries based on the values of that country. Most
Western countries have adopted liberal social values, so they will have more access to
education for women and children, as they believe in equality and equal opportunity. Countries
that operate with different value systems, such as Middle Eastern countries with Sharia Law, will
not give an education to women or all children as they do not believe that is in the best interests
of their citizens, as their religion says so.
Fundamentally, access to education will vary because of the level of development of that
country. Education requires a large share of government finances, and thus quality education
facilities cannot be afforded by every country. Less economically developed countries who do
not have large budgets will not be able to provide many good schools, meaning many children
will miss out on an adequate education.
Explain how UNESCO has contributed to the development of education around the world
(6)
UNESCO has set its goal to ensure that every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education
as a fundamental human right, and a prerequisite to development. This will encourage
,developing countries to keep education as a priority when growing, as they want to be seen
positively by the UN for future aid or help. The UN is unlikely to enforce any standards of
education, but they have a strong degree of soft power when influencing decisions such as
these.
Suggest reasons why the number of years spent in education could affect a country’s
economic development. (6)
The number of years spent in education is likely to have a positive correlation with economic
development. This is because as children spend more time in education, they become more
skilled and hard-working which contribute well to working a productive job. They also realise the
importance of having a good job and are more likely to get a job in an advanced sector like
finance or medicine. Having a skilled and motivated workforce is very important for economic
growth, and therefore the longer children and young adults stay in education, the more they will
contribute to their economy.
Explain why gender equality in education is considered to be important for economic
development and human rights (6)
Gender equality in education is important for economic development because it opens up the
economy to all females in the country, allowing them to specialise in a skill and work a job.
Education is a large part of getting a job, as employers will look for intelligent, skilled candidates
to work for them and therefore if women have an education they can get a job to contribute to
GDP. It is important for human rights, as education gives a person access to economic security
through job opportunity. If a woman does not have an education she will always be dependent
on a man who can work and provide for her, however if she is allowed an education she can get
a job and provide for herself. This ability to work and support oneself is a basic human right.
Explain why attitudes to gender equality in education varies between countries (6)
Suggest reasons why attitudes to gender equality in education may vary in an emerging
country such as India (6)
In an emerging country such as India, there is likely to be a divide between traditional religious
Indians who hold less equal views about women, and there are likely to be more modern
Indians who believe in equality. India has a very strong democracy and a free media, showing
their development into the Western ideology, and the people born into this side of India will likely
develop ideas of equality, believing women should have rights and opportunities, as this is
typically a developed country’s mindset. However, India also has a strong religious background
with more conservative views about women, that they should stay home and play a more
domestic role. People born into this background will pick up these values and hold a contrasting
opinion on women’s rights and gender equality.
Additionally, there is a large income divide in India which results in large numbers of poor
people with little education, and a group of rich, well educated people. The poorer, less
, educated group is likely to stick to the gender inequality they have, as they are not exposed to
the newer ideas of gender equality. The richer group will be able to afford good education and
they will be exposed to liberal views of equality, creating an ideological divide between educated
and uneducated people.
Explain why some countries have made more progress than others in establishing equal
rights for women. (6)
1. Countries that have adopted democracy as a political system will likely make more
progress with gender equality, as they are both liberal ideas. This can be observed in
developing countries like South Korea, who adopted a democratic system in the late
1980s. Conversely, countries that remain ruled by a dictator will be less likely to adopt
gender equality, as there is no democracy
2. Countries that remain under religious law will also be less likely to adopt equal rights for
women, as they uphold more traditional values that may be seen as outdated and
unequal. However, countries that are not ruled with religion will grant equal rights to
women as they will not be adhering to these traditional values
8A.2
Explain one way in which infant and maternal mortality rates can be decreased (4)
Infant mortality rate is the number of babies under 1 who die per 1,000 babies, and the maternal
mortality rate is the number of pregnant or recently postnatal mothers who die per 1,000
mothers. These mortality rates can be decreased through sanitation in the form of clean water
and washing facilities, as it is vitally important to keep vulnerable mothers and infants safe as
their immune systems are weaker than other people so catching illnesses could likely be fatal.
Explain one reason why life expectancy varies within a country (4)
Explain why levels of life expectancy vary both in and between countries. (6 sam
question)
Life expectancy will vary between countries based on differences in their healthcare systems
and diseases. Different healthcare systems will have varying degrees of effectiveness and
accessibility, resulting in different numbers of people who can be treated effectively from illness.
For example, the UK has free healthcare that anyone can access and be treated, whereas the
US has a very expensive healthcare system which means not everyone can afford to be treated
for their illness. This can be proven as the UK life expectancy is 5 years greater than the US life
expectancy (79-74). Different illnesses or diseases will be more prevalent in different countries, and will have an impact on
those countries where it is more common. For example, African countries suffer greatly from diseases/viruses such as HIV and
Malaria, whereas Europe and America are not affected at all. This is linked to the advancement of medicine in different countries,
as developed countries can eradicate common illnesses with penicillin or antibiotics, whereas developing countries will still be
suffering from these illnesses. Within countries, there will be variations in life expectancies due to
EDEXCEL
HEALTH, HUMAN RIGHTS AND
INTERVENTION
PRACTICE QUESTIONS + ANSWERS
Practice questions + answers
8A.1
Explain one way in which education can help economic development (4)
Education can help economic development through increasing the productivity of the workers. If
more people are able to go to schools and universities and get a good education, then they will
have the knowledge to be able to work in more profitable sectors like finance or
pharmaceuticals, and contribute to higher GDP in their country.
Explain how access to education may vary between countries (6)
Access to education will vary between countries based on the values of that country. Most
Western countries have adopted liberal social values, so they will have more access to
education for women and children, as they believe in equality and equal opportunity. Countries
that operate with different value systems, such as Middle Eastern countries with Sharia Law, will
not give an education to women or all children as they do not believe that is in the best interests
of their citizens, as their religion says so.
Fundamentally, access to education will vary because of the level of development of that
country. Education requires a large share of government finances, and thus quality education
facilities cannot be afforded by every country. Less economically developed countries who do
not have large budgets will not be able to provide many good schools, meaning many children
will miss out on an adequate education.
Explain how UNESCO has contributed to the development of education around the world
(6)
UNESCO has set its goal to ensure that every child, boy or girl, has access to quality education
as a fundamental human right, and a prerequisite to development. This will encourage
,developing countries to keep education as a priority when growing, as they want to be seen
positively by the UN for future aid or help. The UN is unlikely to enforce any standards of
education, but they have a strong degree of soft power when influencing decisions such as
these.
Suggest reasons why the number of years spent in education could affect a country’s
economic development. (6)
The number of years spent in education is likely to have a positive correlation with economic
development. This is because as children spend more time in education, they become more
skilled and hard-working which contribute well to working a productive job. They also realise the
importance of having a good job and are more likely to get a job in an advanced sector like
finance or medicine. Having a skilled and motivated workforce is very important for economic
growth, and therefore the longer children and young adults stay in education, the more they will
contribute to their economy.
Explain why gender equality in education is considered to be important for economic
development and human rights (6)
Gender equality in education is important for economic development because it opens up the
economy to all females in the country, allowing them to specialise in a skill and work a job.
Education is a large part of getting a job, as employers will look for intelligent, skilled candidates
to work for them and therefore if women have an education they can get a job to contribute to
GDP. It is important for human rights, as education gives a person access to economic security
through job opportunity. If a woman does not have an education she will always be dependent
on a man who can work and provide for her, however if she is allowed an education she can get
a job and provide for herself. This ability to work and support oneself is a basic human right.
Explain why attitudes to gender equality in education varies between countries (6)
Suggest reasons why attitudes to gender equality in education may vary in an emerging
country such as India (6)
In an emerging country such as India, there is likely to be a divide between traditional religious
Indians who hold less equal views about women, and there are likely to be more modern
Indians who believe in equality. India has a very strong democracy and a free media, showing
their development into the Western ideology, and the people born into this side of India will likely
develop ideas of equality, believing women should have rights and opportunities, as this is
typically a developed country’s mindset. However, India also has a strong religious background
with more conservative views about women, that they should stay home and play a more
domestic role. People born into this background will pick up these values and hold a contrasting
opinion on women’s rights and gender equality.
Additionally, there is a large income divide in India which results in large numbers of poor
people with little education, and a group of rich, well educated people. The poorer, less
, educated group is likely to stick to the gender inequality they have, as they are not exposed to
the newer ideas of gender equality. The richer group will be able to afford good education and
they will be exposed to liberal views of equality, creating an ideological divide between educated
and uneducated people.
Explain why some countries have made more progress than others in establishing equal
rights for women. (6)
1. Countries that have adopted democracy as a political system will likely make more
progress with gender equality, as they are both liberal ideas. This can be observed in
developing countries like South Korea, who adopted a democratic system in the late
1980s. Conversely, countries that remain ruled by a dictator will be less likely to adopt
gender equality, as there is no democracy
2. Countries that remain under religious law will also be less likely to adopt equal rights for
women, as they uphold more traditional values that may be seen as outdated and
unequal. However, countries that are not ruled with religion will grant equal rights to
women as they will not be adhering to these traditional values
8A.2
Explain one way in which infant and maternal mortality rates can be decreased (4)
Infant mortality rate is the number of babies under 1 who die per 1,000 babies, and the maternal
mortality rate is the number of pregnant or recently postnatal mothers who die per 1,000
mothers. These mortality rates can be decreased through sanitation in the form of clean water
and washing facilities, as it is vitally important to keep vulnerable mothers and infants safe as
their immune systems are weaker than other people so catching illnesses could likely be fatal.
Explain one reason why life expectancy varies within a country (4)
Explain why levels of life expectancy vary both in and between countries. (6 sam
question)
Life expectancy will vary between countries based on differences in their healthcare systems
and diseases. Different healthcare systems will have varying degrees of effectiveness and
accessibility, resulting in different numbers of people who can be treated effectively from illness.
For example, the UK has free healthcare that anyone can access and be treated, whereas the
US has a very expensive healthcare system which means not everyone can afford to be treated
for their illness. This can be proven as the UK life expectancy is 5 years greater than the US life
expectancy (79-74). Different illnesses or diseases will be more prevalent in different countries, and will have an impact on
those countries where it is more common. For example, African countries suffer greatly from diseases/viruses such as HIV and
Malaria, whereas Europe and America are not affected at all. This is linked to the advancement of medicine in different countries,
as developed countries can eradicate common illnesses with penicillin or antibiotics, whereas developing countries will still be
suffering from these illnesses. Within countries, there will be variations in life expectancies due to
