IELTS Task 2 : Education

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In this essay, I will examine why some people think that the government should decide which subject people study and why other people think that students should be allowed to study whichever subjects they choose.

Those who believe that the government should choose which subject students study point out that individuals often do not have a wide enough view of the economy to know which kinds of people with which kinds of qualifications will be needed in the future. The government, meanwhile, has access to masses of information and statistics on this subject and also employs many experts to predict which kinds of people will be needed. For example, many countries are reporting that they will not have enough scientists in the future. If the government chose which subjects people could study, the number of scientists in the future would be assured.

Opponents point out that whilst the number of scientists (or the number of any other group) would therefore be guaranteed, the quality of such people would not. If students are forced to either study subjects selected for them by the government or not to study anything, it is likely that some people will study a subject even though they are not good at it and, possibly more importantly, have no interest in it. Such people are unlikely to perform well in their future jobs.

I think that certain subjects are necessary for almost every kind of work and should therefore be compulsory for all students up until a certain level. For example, in Britain, mathematics and English are compulsory up to the age of 16. Other subjects should be left to students to decide on for themselves. If there is shortage of people with certain qualifications, the job market should reward those people with greater salaries. This should result in able people seeking jobs in those areas.