General
- P5: Social Studies File Uploaded 31/07/22, 11:23
UNIT 6:Social services and important places in our province
Key Unit Competence: Explain the importance of social services and important places
in our province and ways of preserving them.
Attitudes and Values: Appreciate the importance of social services, facilities and important places in the province. Acknowledge the importance of money in the provision of social services.
6.1 Social services and important places in our province
Social services are support provided to the people to improve their well-being.
Social services make life better for people as they help them to meet their needs.
Examples of social services in our province include:
• Educational services
• Medical services
• Security services
• Transport services
• Communication services
• Banking services
• Insurance services
• Housing services
• Water supply services
• Electricity services
Institutions that provide social services in our province
These are places that provide social services to people.
Institutions that provide social services are also called Social service centres.People who provide social services are called social workers.
Activity 6.1
1. Name the social service centres in A, B, C and D above.
2. Apart from the social service centres given above, name other places
that provide us with social services.
Examples of social service centres in our province
Social service centre and services provided
• School — Education
• Hospital — Health services like medicine, treatment, care of patients
• Market — Selling and buying of goods
• Police station — Safety, security, lodging complaints
• Bank — Deposit and withdraw money, loans, safe
• deposits
• Petrol station — Fuels like petrol and diesel
• Post office — Sending and receiving parcels, postage stamps• Water supply — Clean drinking water
6.2 Education services
Schools, colleges, universities, churches and community centres; provide education. People who provide educational services include teachers, lecturers, parents, religious leaders and professors.
Types of education
There are two types of education:
• Formal education: This is the type of education given in schools. It includes reading and writing.
• Informal education: This is the type of education given at home and in society. It does not involve reading and writing. Informal education mainly emphasizes practical skills and moral development like
cooking, hunting, craft work, washing, cultivating, respecting eldersand good behaviour.
Activity 6.2
1. Which type of education is being given in pictures A and B?2. Which group of people introduced formal education to Rwanda?
Importance of education
• We learn to read and write.
• We acquire different skills which help us to get jobs.
• Education promotes moral development.• It brings people together (friendship).
6.3 Security services
Security means having peace in an area.Security services help to maintain peace in our province.
Activity 6.3
1. Name the groups shown in the pictures given above.
2. What is the role of the police in our province?
People who provide security
• The army
• Police
• Local defence (Irondo)
• Private security guards
• Prison officers
Importance of the security services in our province
The security services are important in our province in the following way.
• To keep law and order
• To protect people and their property
• To arrest wrongdoers
• To control traffic on the roads
• To defend the country from rebels• The prison force keeps wrongdoers away from good people.
6.4 Transport services
Transport is the movement of people and their goods from one place to another.
People move from one place to another in order to get where they want.
They use different types of transport like land, air, water and railways to move from one place to another.
Importance of transport
Transport is extremely useful because:
• It helps people to move from one place to another.
• Transport promotes trade.
• People are able to carry goods from one place to another.
• It provides employment (jobs) for people like drivers, pilots and
• captains.
• It promotes tourism in an area.
6.5 Medical services
Medical services are an important social service in our province.
We get medical services from hospitals, clinics, dispensaries, pharmacies and health centres.
Activity 6.4
1. What activities are taking place in the pictures given above?
2. In groups, discuss other places in our province where we get medical
services.
3. Name two hospitals found in our province.
The people who provide medical services include:
• Doctors, like surgeons, dentists and opticians
• Nurses
• Midwives
• Lab technicians/attendants
Importance of hospitals
Hospitals help to provide medical services to people in many different ways such as:
• Treating sick people.
• Immunising children against disease.
• Teaching people how to control diseases.
• Teaching people about good nutrition.
6.6 Banking service
A bank is a financial institution that provides keeps safe for customers.
Banking is the act of keeping money in the bank. People who provide banking services include:
• Bank managers• Bank accountants or cashiers
Activity 6.5
1. Discuss the examples of banks in your province.
2. Why are banks important in our province?
6.7 Market services
Many people in our province buy and sell of products at the market.
People who buy and sell goods at the market are called market vendors.
Activity 6.6
1. Name the items sold at the market in your province.
2. In groups, discuss examples of markets found in our province.
Importance of markets in our province
Markets are important in our province because they:
• promote trade.
• are a source of government revenue.
• help people fulfil their basic needs.
• promote unity and cooperation.
Caring for social service centres
Social service centres need to be protected and well maintained for future use.
It is the responsibility of each and every citizen to take care of service centres.Look at the pictures given below.
Activity 6.7
Discuss the activities taking place in the pictures above.
We can maintain and care for the social service centres in the following ways:
• Cleaning social service centres.
• Proper handling of property in social service centres.
• Respecting people who care for social service centres.
• Educating people about the proper use of social service centres.
• Planting grass to control soil erosion in and around social service centres.• Guarding by security personnel.
6.8 Important places in our province
There are many places in our province which are important to us. People use these places in order to meet their needs. Important places can also be called public places because they are used by all.
Activity 6.8
1. Discuss other important places in our province.
2. State the use of each of these important places in our province.
The following are some of the important places in our province.
• Churches: These are holy places of worship for Christians.
• Mosque: These are holy places of worship for Muslims.
• Markets: These are places where the buy and sell goods.
• Banks: These are financial institutions, which keep people’s money safely for future use .
• Stadiums: These are playgrounds where sports activities take place.
• Hospitals: These are places that provide medical services.
• Schools: These are places that provide education.
• Game Park They help to protect wild animals and attract tourist
• Forest. Protect some species of plants and tress help in the formation of rainfall and also controls soil erosion
• Water sources. These are places where we get water for domestic and industrial use.
• Police station. These are places which provide security. Police help to keep law and order.
• Hotels. These are places which provide accommodation, food and meeting venues in our province.
• Public toilets. These are also very important places because it help in proper disposal of human waste like urine and feaces
• Museums. These are places where traditional things of long ago are kept.
Problems faced by important places
The problems faced by the important places in our province include:
• Poor service delivery.
• Poor hygiene and sanitation.
• Bad weather conditions.
• Misuse of public funds by some workers.
• Corruption.
• Dense population.
• Shortage of land.
Solutions to these problems
Solutions are steps taken in order to solve problems faced by important
places in our province. Below are some of the ways to solve problems.
• Increase funds for maintenance
• Provide sufficient social services
• Employ more workers
• Arrest corrupt officials
• Teach people to protect important places
• Control population growth
Activity 6.9
Identify two groups of people who work in each of the social service centres below:
(a) Schools
(b) Hospitals
Revision exercise
1. What are social services?
2. Give three examples of social services in our province.
3. Name the two types of education.
4. Differentiate informal education from formal education
5. Explain the importance of education in our province.
6. Name any two groups of people who provide security services in our
province.
7. Explain the role of security in our province.
8. Match the group of people to the services they offer
Doctors transport services
Teachers banking service
Accountants medical service
Drivers education service
9. Give three types of transport found in our province.
10. Which type of transport is not found in Rwanda?
11. Suggest two reasons why transport is important in our province.
12. Name any three places where people can get medical services in our province.
13. Name any two groups of people who provide medical services in our province.
14. Why are hospitals important to our province?
15. What is the difference between a bank and banking.
16. Mention any two ways in which banks are important in Rwanda.
17. Why are markets important in our province?
18. Suggest any two ways of caring for social service centres in our province.
19. Give three examples of important places in our province.
20. State two important places in our province.
21. List any two problems faced by important places.22. Suggest any two solutions to problems affecting these important places.