You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic.
Schools are spending more time teaching traditional subjects such as history. Some people think they should rather spend more time teaching skills that can help students find a job. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Sample Answer 1:
School curriculums may vary from school to school, but their primary objective is the same everywhere which is to educate and enlighten students. However, some people claim that school should focus more on job-oriented subjects rather than teaching traditional ones like arts and history. I personally disagree with this view and believe that traditional subjects are just as important as skill-oriented subjects are.
To begin with, ‘job-oriented subject’ is itself an inexplicit term. Some would say that subjects that enhance practical skills like computing or gardening are job-oriented subjects, but no one can assure that all students in a class would become computer engineers and specialists in planting and gardening. That is why forcing pupils to study subjects that they do not feel interested in would bring negative results.
Furthermore, schools are meant to nurture young students’ creativity, foster their talent to let them explore their true potential. From this perspective, imposing job-related subjects is like killing the inner soul of the future generation. Finally, if schools can bring diversity among students and inform them about different perspectives of life, the students would themselves choose their career and transcend in future. So there is no need to create a robotic generation with a particular skill only.
Arts and history are as much important as any science and technical subjects are. The study of history empowers us to be prepared for the future and learn from our past mistakes. Similarly, arts and other traditional subjects allow us to learn to appreciate life. We revere Van Gauge and Leonardo da Vinci as much as we admire Sir Isaac Newton and Einstein. The world needs great artists and historians no less than it needs scientists and technicians.
To conclude, schools should equally focus on traditional subjects and skill-oriented subjects and nurture students’ hidden potential to prepare the future generation to become leaders, not corporate slaves.
Sample Answer 2:
The curriculum for schools has become a matter of great concern as it directly influences the quality of education. Some people opine that academies should focus on job-oriented subjects that prepare pupils for a good career whereas others think that learners should be cognizant of their ancient path, tradition and heritage through learning arts and history besides their career preparation. This essay argues why it is necessary to emphasise traditional subjects, which are just as important as employment-oriented skills.
Many schools primarily concentrate on subjects that help students improve their skills and get ready for jobs. This is mainly due to the present competitive world where people face cut-throat competition in securing a job. So people assume that developing practical skills from a younger age will help students perform well in professional life. For instance, some schools in India have adopted certain subjects that focus mainly on attaining a medical degree and thereby become a better physician in the future.
However, it is essential for students to learn history, arts and similar subjects along with skill-oriented materials. Knowledge of culture and history allows students to become leaders than becoming corporate robots. For instance, the contribution of an explorer, leader and social worker is no less than that of a doctor or an engineer.
In conclusion, the primary objective of education is to prepare the young generation to build a better world through their diverse contributions, not just become money-making machines. This is why arts and history are just as important as skill-related subjects in the national education curriculum.
[Written by – Kanika]