Today’s schools should teach their students how to survive financially in the world today. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
In schools, students learn to analyse literature, calculate using trigonometry and understand how photosynthesis works, but often students are inexperienced and helpless after graduation when encountering the real world. It is therefore argued that schools should teach their students how to survive financially in the world.
This topic is difficult, though. Many educators believe that a school is supposed to teach students in subjects that they will most probably not encounter again post-graduation, so that teachers can develop open-minded and well-informed individuals. At the same time, it can be argued that schools should impart skills that would be applicable in everyday life. Mathematics, for example, is supposed to not only communicate actual mathematics skills, but also teach logic to students. However, schools are supposed to prepare the youths for their lives following high school. Currently this goal is not fully met, as often students are unable to handle their finances sensibly and therefore can often face significant problems. Schools that teach students how to survive financially could change this.
This significant shift in the ideology of education is unlikely to take place soon, as the education system has been in place for too long to be easily changed. Also a change of this scale would be costly, as teachers would have to be trained and a syllabus for this potential subject would have to be created. However, in some countries, for example Germany, a community subject is available in which politics and finances are discussed. This leaves students from Germany in a better situation to deal with finances in their lives.
In conclusion, training school students in financial matters would be very useful. Adding new content to the syllabus would require a significant amount of money, but the entire community would benefit from students being better prepared for adult life.
Recently published figures show that the wildlife population around the world has decreased by around fifty per cent over the last fifty years. What can we do to help protect the wildlife round the world?
Humans have become a prime culprit for the destruction of the wildlife population around the world. Humans believe that they are the most powerful species on this planet and have therefore chosen to use all of nature’s resources for their own good, even if this results in the destruction of the environment around them. Clearly, this is not a positive result of human existence and many people believe that the world’s wildlife population should be better protected.
One possible way to protect wildlife around the world is to reduce the amount of polluted substances produced through the human way of life. It has become habitual for people to pollute water by adding chemicals to it during industrial processes or to pollute air as a result of the fossil fuel industries and car emissions. Stopping the addition of chemicals to water and creating cleaner processes would reduce water pollution and help create a safer environment for wildlife to live in. Increasing the availability and use of public transportation and increasing the use of renewable energy sources could reduce world pollution further.
Another possible attempt to protect wildlife around the world is to actively promote recycling projects to reduce the amount of resources that are wasted. This would lessen the degradation of the natural environment, as humans continue to search for new resources. Society uses a lot of paper and wood on a daily basis and people do not actively think about whether or not they are wasting these resources. Printing double-sided or on recycled paper for example would appear to change nothing, yet if carried out regularly would help make a difference.
In conclusion, there are numerous different ways in which every human being can help to protect the wildlife population around the world. One can engage in projects to raise awareness of environmental destruction or one can actively take part in activities to protect it. Everyone must find the area in which he or she would like to involve him or herself, as all should be obliged to protect wildlife around the world.
Some people today believe that the world’s increase in population is unsustainable and will eventually lead to a global crisis. Other people believe that world population increase is necessary and beneficial as it creates the growth of the world’s economy and society.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
The population of the world is ever growing. Some people believe that this increase has created an unsustainable situation and that it will lead to a global crisis. Other people believe that only through an increasing population can the world’s economy and society develop.
This population increase is not constant around the world; population is undergoing significant growth especially in less developed countries, and the continent of Africa is predicted to undergo the highest increase. Many people living in these less developed countries frequently face shortages, such as water, food, heating, cooking fuel and medicines, and people have to live in substandard living conditions by western standards. With more inhabitants, these difficulties will become exacerbated and helping these countries might also create strain on the resources and economies of other countries.
On the other hand, many countries are unable to reach their economic potential due to a lack of skilled work forces. For these countries a growing population can mean a stronger economy and, due to that, a better standard of living. Growing populations can also lead to growing demand for goods, allowing economies to expand. The problem is, however, that countries that are in need of labour forces and increasing demand are already the more developed countries and they meet some of these needs by immigration and exporting goods.
In conclusion, it is my belief that while certain areas of the world are in need of larger work forces to develop their economies, the continuously increasing population could potentially lead to crisis within countries that already struggle to provide for their inhabitants.
Some people believe that teaching music in schools is a vital part of growing up and the human experience, whilst others believe that teaching music in schools is a waste of time and resources.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
In modern day society, education has become a vital aspect of every child’s life. Educational facilities tend to offer a wide range of subjects aimed at educating children and teaching them various skills. Fundamental subject areas are said to be mathematics, science, languages and physical education. Depending on the type of educational facility, a certain subject might be emphasised, yet these core subject areas are usually incorporated into nearly all educational facilities. Although it is commonly agreed that these subjects are vital for a child’s educational upbringing, opinions differ when it comes to the subject of music. Whilst some believe that musical education is an important part of growing up, others believe that it should no longer be taught in schools, as it is considered a waste of time and resources.
Music falls under the subject area of art, causing it to often be considered as less valuable than other subjects. Typically people believe that learning to express oneself in a creative manner is less important than learning about mathematical theories and scientific facts. Often the opponents of musical education propose that a more rationally-based education will benefit children later on in their lives, as they will be able to perceive and comprehend the logical aspects of life more easily. The supporters of musical education argue that music is beneficial for children, because it offers a manner of creative self-expression. Furthermore, music is part of human culture, as it brings people together and therefore children who study music can obtain a sense of cultural knowledge.
Personally I believe that music should be taught in schools and that it is not a waste of time and resources. I played piano for seven years and believe that this has helped me become a more balanced person. It is important for a child to learn about thinking creatively and to take a break from logical subjects once in a while.
In conclusion, music should be taught at school, because it enables children to express themselves creatively and to learn more about culture and human interaction.
Although the prices of fuels have greatly increased over the last decade or two, it is argued that further increases in fuel prices are the only way to reduce world consumption of fuel and lessen pressure on the world’s fuel resources.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Oil, gas and coal are all non-renewable resources. This is known worldwide, as well as the fact that society lives above its demands. Even though fuel prices have increased significantly over the last decade, consumption will still cause these resources to run out eventually. It has been argued that the only way to decrease the usage of fuel is to further increase the prices.
Currently, most people think in the present and do not consider the future enough. Therefore, to affect people in their everyday lives, fuel prices ought to be raised. It is theorised that this will significantly decrease fossil fuel usage, as economic impact will be forced onto current users. It is necessary that fuel prices are high enough to immediately decrease the wealth of a family and make more people switch to public transport. Critics of this would argue, however, that society’s fossil fuels, such as petrol for cars, have an inelastic price and that price hikes would have no effect other than increasing tax and oil company revenues.
In addition, a significant increase in prices would not only impact each individual, but also a whole economy. Fuel prices are not only linked to transport, but also to food production, home heating and entertainment. A rise in prices in all these areas would seriously affect the standard of living of families with limited income and would mean the poorer parts of society would become even poorer.
In conclusion, while raising fuel prices is one of the most commonly-discussed solutions to fuel usage problems, this answer includes too many negative variables. Certainly, increasing fuel prices would create a small reduction of transport usage, but the far-reaching effects would be unfair and unsustainable.
Many people believe in the idea of school children wearing a school uniform, but should teachers as well be required to conform to a dress code?
The wearing of school uniforms is an issue that is both supported and opposed by many people. Numerous schools around the world require students to wear school uniforms on their grounds, however, teachers are not often required to wear a specific uniform while working. It has therefore been suggested that it should be compulsory for teachers to wear a specific uniform or follow a specific dress code on a daily basis.
One reason for introducing a dress code for teachers would be that teachers typically function as role models. For students who are not willing to conform to the dress code of their school, it would be beneficial to see figures of authority wearing the same outfit as each other, and they would then potentially be more willing to follow their own dress code.
Another reason for introducing a compulsory dress code for teachers would be that if all teachers wore the same outfit, there would be no visible difference amongst them. Naturally some teachers are wealthier than others and would tend to show this through their clothing. This could cause other teachers to feel inferior and therefore could result in lower quality work and decreased motivation. Furthermore, students would feel treated more fairly, if not only they, but teachers as well had to wear a certain uniform in school.
Lastly, uniforms for teachers would enable students and other teachers to easily distinguish between school staff and other adults. In many schools there is no high quality security system and strangers can easily enter and steal something or commit other crimes. If teachers wore uniforms, one would then be able to approach and confront strangers more easily, as one could distinguish teachers wearing uniforms clearly from other adults.
In conclusion, there are many positive effects of introducing uniforms for teachers and therefore, in my opinion, they should be installed in as many schools as possible.
Today’s society provides people with various ways to lose weight, such as special diets or exercise regimes. Many people believe though that poor food and today’s lifestyle should be addressed first. What is your opinion?
In modern day western society one can easily become obese, as the availability of cheap and unhealthy food is high. Nonetheless, many people desire to be healthy and slim and therefore have chosen to follow special diets or exercise regimes so as to not become obese. Others believe, however, that people should be better informed about today’s unhealthy lifestyles and the poor food they are consuming before such diets and regimes are taken into consideration. Personally, I agree that the unhealthy lifestyle of many people must be addressed before thinking about ways of losing weight through special diets.
It has become habitual for people to cook using ingredients that have been pre-cooked or to which chemicals have been added. Additionally, several people consume a lot of microwave and fast food, which are both easy to purchase and prepare, but are often fairly unhealthy. Due to the fact that it has become less popular to cook meals using fresh ingredients, people consume chemicals, taste intensifiers, salt and sugar without realising. By consuming food that has been made by mass production, one no longer has to think largely about how a meal is prepared and can simply consume it without thinking about the ingredients.
It seems logical that in order to lose weight effectively and over a long period of time, one has to learn to eat in a healthy way and to carry out sport on a regular basis. Learning how to cook with fresh ingredients is an important aspect of eating in a healthy way, and, by doing so, people can avoid eating food that has been pre-made. If people do not understand this concept, they will fall back into unhealthily habits after their diet is over.
In conclusion, today’s unhealthy lifestyles as well as the poor quality food consumed by people on a regular basis must be addressed before thinking about diets or exercise regimes. If people can combine exercise with wholesome eating habits, they will be happier and healthier.
The breakthroughs in medical science are by far the most significant advances in world society over the last two centuries.
Discuss this statement and give your opinion.
Over the last two hundred years, there have been many changes to society in nearly all aspects of people’s lives. Medical science has advanced beyond recognition and it can be argued that this has been the most significant change.
The last two centuries have witnessed great advances of the industrial revolution. Automation, machinery and various technologies have revolutionised the way people live, work, play and travel. Society has now many things that make people’s lives easier and more enjoyable, including cars, planes, computers and telephones to name only a few. It is quite clear that these advances are phenomenally significant in most people’s lives today.
Medical science has also been revolutionised. The three principal challenges facing surgery, which were pain, infection and bleeding, have all been overcome, allowing the lives of millions to be saved. The discoveries of vaccines to deal with the great killer diseases of history also took place over the last two centuries. Probably billions of people who would have died from diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis, diphtheria and tetanus have all been saved.
In addition to this, medicine now has such an advanced knowledge of human body systems that doctors can cure or heal a wide range of ailments that would in the past have been fatal or extremely debilitating. It is also likely that the next century will see similar significant advances.
In conclusion, although there have been many different advances in society over the last two hundred years, the fact that so many people have had their lives saved or improved by medical breakthroughs makes it seem incontrovertible that it is these medical advances that have been the most significant.
Some people believe today that everyone has a right to access to the Internet and that governments should provide this access for free. Other people believe that access to the internet is not a right and should be paid for like other services.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
Nowadays most information is transmitted over the Internet. A strong dependency on this medium has been created, as personal, political and economic news and information are shared through it. As the Internet is so widely needed, many people believe that governments should provide this access for free. Others believe that Internet access should be paid for.
Before the creation of the Internet, people had phones, newspapers and televisions; nowadays the Internet can replace all of these. Society is now built on a system that relies on everyone having access to the Internet, whether this be in school or in work life. However, while it is seen as a basic necessity in western cultures, the costs for accessing it are still too high for some people. When this point of view is taken into account, it can be concluded that governments should provide access, or a division of inequality will be created in society.
However, when one takes into account the things that the Internet has replaced, it becomes apparent that most of these are not free as well. It is necessary to pay for phone calls, for television and for newspapers. Storing all the information and passing it to consumers through the World Wide Web also entails costs. This raises the question whether the Internet should be handled differently. Providing Internet access to everyone would mean a significant cost for the governments, especially at times of economic crisis. Therefore, this is not a plausible solution to integrate each individual into the society.
In my opinion, while the Internet has become as necessary as a phone, governments should not provide it for free, as the money needed for this would put too much strain on public resources. This finance could be used for even more urgent topics, such as poverty and starvation.
Many people nowadays travel abroad for their university education.
Why do people do this? Would you consider doing this yourself and why?
In recent years it has become normal for high school graduates to travel abroad for their university education. There are numerous positive aspects to studying in a foreign country, such as the discovery of new cultures, the possibility of learning more about oneself and the chance of learning a new language.
By travelling to a foreign country, it is certain that one will be confronted with foreign customs and traditions. Experiencing and understanding these customs and their origins provides students with an interesting chance to develop a more open-minded attitude towards others. Additionally, it is also extremely stimulating to learn more about the reasons behind certain traditions and practices.
A prime reason for students studying abroad is the prospect of finding oneself and growing as an individual. When living in a foreign country, students have to become increasingly independent and they are confronted with their strengths and weaknesses. Typically students develop increased self-esteem and also acquire or improve upon their skills of housekeeping and cooking, which are important for living independently later on in life.
When living in a foreign country students are exposed to a new language and in most cases attempt to learn it. If they already possess some knowledge about the language, they have the possibility of advancing and improving upon these skills with the native population. The ability to speak multiple languages offers students a higher chance of being successful on the international job market, which makes studying abroad an attractive choice.
Personally, I would like to study abroad in either Scotland or France, because I would like to experience the life and customs in these countries. Additionally, I would like to become more fluent in French, as I believe this will be beneficial for me later in life.
In conclusion, studying abroad offers the possibility for students to grow and develop as individuals and to acquire valuable skills that will be useful in adult life.
The world today is a safer place than it was a hundred years ago, and governments should stop spending large amounts of money on their armed forces.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
It is now some time since the whole world was involved in one war. The world nowadays is no comparison to the past, when millions of soldiers were lost on the battlefield. As the world today is significantly safer than previously, it can be argued that governments should stop spending large amounts of money on their military forces.
The last World War dates back nearly seventy years and, since 1945, no conflict has taken place in western countries. Thus, people have suggested that spending money on necessities within society instead of armed forces is more useful. However, this is very difficult, as even though no significant conflict has taken place in western countries, they are still involved in the conflicts of other countries. For example, the US contribution in the Iraqi war has only recently ended. For such involvement of military forces in foreign lands, countries still need to have strong armed forces, in case they are needed.
In some countries like the UK, the military is already significantly weaker than it has been in the past. However, historically, a hundred years is not that long and because no conflict has happened recently, this does not mean that there will be no conflict in the future. At the outbreak of World War Two, the UK was seriously under-prepared, as it had been thought that the horrors of World War One had convinced everyone of the uselessness of war.
In conclusion, certain armed forces are necessary for major countries even though the world is safer than a hundred years ago. They might need to intervene in conflicts in other countries and world peace is by no means assured for the future.
One of the major problems that faces today’s governments is creating enough satisfactory housing for their increasing populations whilst still trying to protect the environment.
How can this be achieved? Discuss and give your opinion.
In a world with an ever-growing population, providing housing is one of the crucial tasks of all governments. At the same time, however, the environment has to be protected from too much destruction and deforestation. Different solutions have been created to solve these problems. One significant solution could be increasing the height of buildings.
When looking at the skyline of metropolitan cities, skyscrapers are becoming increasingly visible. The reason for this is simple: housing has to be provided, while the environment should suffer the least amount possible. Decreasing the building footprints of houses and therefore the destruction of environment, while increasing the height, is an effective solution in overcoming this dilemma. This resolution also has its faults though, as increasing height also means that sunlight reaching the streets will decrease and that housing will be built more densely in order to save space.
Another possible solution is to increase building costs to pressure the population into living in smaller areas, which would save space. As this impacts members of the community unevenly depending on their wealth, this would encourage unequal living standards and conflicts as a result of this. Therefore, this is not a plausible solution to the problem.
In my opinion, finding the perfect way to minimise environmental damage while increasing housing is a problem to which there is no simple solution. Many governments are currently relying on height to solve the problem, but this is not attractive to many people. Any solution chosen should be one that causes the fewest problems.
Some of today’s schools insist that all students have their own laptop computer in class to assist in their education.
Do you feel that this would be an advantage to students’ education or would it be an unnecessary complication?
Several schools around the world insist that all students should bring their own private laptop to class to assist in their education. Technology has become a significant component of educating children and is considered beneficial in many ways. Nonetheless, there are likewise many disadvantages to using private technological equipment in classrooms.
Bringing a private laptop to class offers a variety of benefits for students. Firstly, laptops can be used to take notes in classes where teachers sometimes speak at a high speed. Many children find that they can type faster than they can write by hand and therefore prefer typing their notes in class so as to not miss any important information. Teachers could furthermore make use of learning programs and websites during class, as students would have the possibility of using these websites on their private laptops. Moreover, students can use periods meant for working on assignments effectively, because they can work on their assignments digitally right away and not have to type up handmade notes later on. Information can additionally be distributed more easily to students, as for example hand-outs can simply be emailed or shared electronically and do not have to be printed.
Although bringing private laptops to class offers these various advantages, it also creates several disadvantages. Laptops firstly are fairly expensive, meaning that families with more than one child will have to spend a large amount of money to purchase laptops for all their children. Furthermore, laptops can easily be damaged during class and outside of class as well as stolen, which could create future costs for families. During class laptops can also distract students, because they can surf the Internet or look at non-class-related work during class periods. The amount of time students are exposed to technological equipment is also increased by incorporating laptops into classrooms, which can result in several health-related problems.
In conclusion, bringing a private laptop to class involves several advantages and disadvantages. Nonetheless, I personally believe that if used wisely, a laptop is an extremely useful tool in lessons and therefore I would support this initiative.
Some people believe that having sport in schools is a waste of time and resources, whilst other people believe that sport in schools is a vital part of education.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
In most education systems around the world, physical education is one of the components of the syllabus. However, this is a controversial topic, as it has been argued that sport as a school subject is unnecessary. Opposing this is the view that physical education is a vital aspect of the education.
Physical education was introduced into schools to promote a healthy lifestyle by exposing students to different types of sport and ensuring that those who are not naturally sporty are exposed to exercise and its benefits. For students who are already very active, having a sports lesson might be unnecessary, but those who are not given the opportunities or who are not from active families depend on schools for exercise. Furthermore, a school is supposed to educate on multiple levels, a key aspect of which is healthy living. It is not sufficient to discuss exercise in class; students must experience the effects that ensue. One of these benefits is that exercise enables people to concentrate more efficiently and work more efficiently, meaning that having sport as a subject is beneficial to other subjects as well.
On the other hand, exercise to some degree is a personal matter and forcing students to exercise in class can then have the opposite effect. This feeling can lead to students not pursuing any sports later due to negative experiences and memories connected to it. Another argument is that exercise is a leisure activity and therefore not school-related and should be practiced outside of school.
In conclusion, while negative results can be caused through physical education, it is vital for students to take part in it. Some students are only exposed to a healthy lifestyle in schools and therefore there is a responsibility to educate individuals in this area.
It seems clear that obesity in today’s society is to some extent due to the availability of fast food.
Should governments place a tax on fast food to reduce the amount of fast food consumed?
Obesity has become a common problem in western societies and this is partly due to the availability of fast food at low prices. To tackle this problem, it has been suggested that governments should increase the tax on fast foods in order to reduce the amount of pre-cooked meals consumed. I personally believe that this is a sound idea, because especially young people, who have less money, will be discouraged from buying food at quick service restaurants.
The main reason for the high consumption of junk food is that it is a cheap alternative to healthy meals. A salad for example often is twice as expensive as a burger, resulting in more people eating the burger than the salad. As a result, people prepare fewer meals themselves and eat more mass-produced food instead. In my opinion, it should not be possible to sell fast food at a lower price than staple food. By making takeaway meals more expensive than vegetables and fruit, people would change their eating habits, as they would want to save money.
Another way to reduce consumption of fast food would be to prohibit its promotion. A similar approach was taken in terms of advertising cigarettes and one can say that this approach has been successful to some extent. Additionally, commercials for fast food often target young children through offering inducements, such as the toys in the happy meal at McDonalds for example. The children are persuaded to demand a happy meal, yet often do not necessarily want to eat the food contained in it. The only thing they want is the toy. If advertising junk food were forbidden, the number of children consuming pre-cooked meals would be reduced and therefore the number of obese children would decrease as well.
In conclusion, governments should put a tax on fast food to reduce the amount consumed in order to decrease the number of obese people. By placing a tax on fast food and making it more expensive than healthy raw foods, people would began to eat more healthily. If additionally the advertising of quick service restaurants were banned, the number of obese people would decrease even more drastically.
Many parents give jobs to their children to do around the house in order to develop their characters and self-sufficiency.
Discuss this idea and give your opinion.
In many modern day families, it is a common aspect of family life that parents give jobs to their children to do around the house to develop their characters and a sense of self-sufficiency. This aspect can be looked at as having both positive and negative sides.
When parents give their children jobs or chores to do around the house, they make their children understand that they are part of a community. While this community is only within the family’s house, the lessons children learn from carrying out their chores are equally fitting for the global community they live in. Children are taught that they have to integrate into the global community and that in order for this community to work effectively, everyone must carry out their chores.
Furthermore, children learn about the concept of pride, as they are taught to be proud of what they have accomplished. Chores around the house additionally prepare children for living independently later on in life, as they acquire skills that are valuable for everyday life. I, personally, see this approach as very practical; helping my mother with cooking in my childhood and teenage years served me well, and living independently now I don’t have trouble preparing meals for myself and my housemates.
Although there are many supporters of this concept, some parents argue that children should not be given jobs to do around the house. They argue that children should be allowed to be children and not have any duties. In their opinion children should enjoy their childhood and should not have to deal with any of the responsibilities adults have to deal with.
In conclusion, I believe that giving children chores to carry out is a positive aspect of family life, as I think that it helps children to become independent and makes it easier for them to live by themselves later on in life.
There is a problem today that copyright materials such as music, films and books are freely available on the Internet with the result that the owners of the works lose money.
Do you feel that this is a good or bad thing?
In modern day society, it has become common to make copyright protected material freely available on the Internet with the result that the owners of the work lose large sums of money. The discussion of whether or not this distribution is of positive or negative nature has therefore been raised. Personally, I believe that this issue has both negative and positive effects.
Distributing copyright protected material freely online can firstly help make this material more popular. Often people are not willing to spend money on a film or song before being exposed to it once, as they cannot be sure that they will enjoy the material they are about to purchase. If they purchase a song or film and then do not like it, the money spent will have been wasted, which is disappointing. Frequently, people purchase copyright protected material that they enjoyed after being exposed to it once, meaning that often owners often receive money at a later stage. An owner’s reputation can additionally improve, because frequently owners who allow their work to be distributed partially or completely online have a more positive reputation amongst customers.
Regardless of the positive effects of the free online distribution of copyright protected material, it can be said that this distribution has several negative effects. Firstly, owners lose large sums of money through it. A lot of time and money can be spent producing the material distributed, as certain spaces and equipment must be rented or bought to produce a certain song or film. Like all other people, artists need money to survive and thus are at a disadvantage when they do not receive money for their work. I personally believe therefore that governments should make sure that when something is performed in public or when work is displayed in public, artists should receive credit and money.
In conclusion, it can be said that the online distribution of copyright protected material has both negative and positive effects. In my opinion, it cannot fully be determined whether this distribution is of a positive or negative nature; one must decide upon this for oneself.
With the improvements in today’s health care, society has to care for more and more elderly people.
Do you feel that society will be able to cope with the increase in numbers of elderly people today and how can it be managed?
In current society, the life expectancy in western countries has increased significantly. Also, fewer babies are being born, causing the relative percentage of elderly people to increase. These people have to be taken care of, causing the question to rise whether this number of elderly people can be cared for.
When people grow older, they can also develop more health issues, resulting in more visits to doctors and hospitals, and an increased usage of pharmaceuticals. Due to the current large numbers of elderly people, the pressure put onto health care systems is increasing. In many western countries, the state provides most of the health care system. Therefore with increasing numbers of old people, higher percentages of state funding have to be allocated to health care and this could cause shortfalls in other areas, for example education. This change in the distribution of money can therefore impact society negatively.
Society should be able to handle these changes. Governments will have been able to predict the changing demographic situations in their countries and plan accordingly. This might indeed lead to other sectors in society having money taken away from them, but caring for the elderly is one of the key responsibilities of today’s governments. For the future, it might be necessary to ensure that an extra insurance charge is levied on people’s salaries in order that any future financial shortfall is met. This would be unpopular, but would allow governments to have the necessary funds available.
In conclusion, society today and in the future should be well able to deal with caring for their elderly. It is only a question of careful long-term forecasting and planning.
Should governments or teachers be responsible for what is to be taught in schools?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
In modern day society, it is essential for a child to be educated in order for him or her to have success later on in life. Children are typically educated in schools, which are run by the government. The government officials therefore decide what is taught to the children and what is not. Personally, I believe that it is better if governments are responsible for the subject matter covered in school and not the teachers.
It is a common goal to supply all children with the same opportunities in life, meaning that the same core knowledge should be taught to all children to offer them the same benefits. Naturally, some children will be better at certain subjects than others and will therefore obtain a more detailed degree of knowledge, yet every child should be taught the same core knowledge. Education provides opportunities, because certain types of education will enable children to pursue certain careers later on in life.
Supplying the same core knowledge is an essential concept, yet it has not been put into action in several countries. In Germany, for example, the syllabus taught depends on the region of the country. In certain regions, children attend school for thirteen years and in other regions for twelve years. This raises the question whether or not the children obtain the same degree of knowledge and that the children attending school for thirteen years are at an advantage compared to those attending school for twelve years. Already one can see that problems arise when the regional government decides upon the core knowledge taught to students. If teachers had a say in what knowledge should be taught to students, the subject matter would become even more complex. The core knowledge would not only vary from region to region, yet also from school to school, providing unfair advantages and disadvantages for certain students.
In conclusion, the government of a country should decide upon what knowledge is taught in schools, as the situation would become too complex if all teachers were responsible for this aspect.
Should governments or teachers be responsible for what is to be taught in schools?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
In modern day society, it is essential for a child to be educated in order for him or her to have success later on in life. Children are typically educated in schools, which are run by the government. The government officials therefore decide what is taught to the children and what is not. Personally, I believe that it is better if governments are responsible for the subject matter covered in school and not the teachers.
It is a common goal to supply all children with the same opportunities in life, meaning that the same core knowledge should be taught to all children to offer them the same benefits. Naturally, some children will be better at certain subjects than others and will therefore obtain a more detailed degree of knowledge, yet every child should be taught the same core knowledge. Education provides opportunities, because certain types of education will enable children to pursue certain careers later on in life.
Supplying the same core knowledge is an essential concept, yet it has not been put into action in several countries. In Germany, for example, the syllabus taught depends on the region of the country. In certain regions, children attend school for thirteen years and in other regions for twelve years. This raises the question whether or not the children obtain the same degree of knowledge and that the children attending school for thirteen years are at an advantage compared to those attending school for twelve years. Already one can see that problems arise when the regional government decides upon the core knowledge taught to students. If teachers had a say in what knowledge should be taught to students, the subject matter would become even more complex. The core knowledge would not only vary from region to region, yet also from school to school, providing unfair advantages and disadvantages for certain students.
In conclusion, the government of a country should decide upon what knowledge is taught in schools, as the situation would become too complex if all teachers were responsible for this aspect.
Some people believe that the problem of illegal drugs can be solved by legalising all drugs. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.
Illegal drugs have become a worldwide problem in modern day society. The trading of drugs is widespread in nearly all countries and the number of people consuming drugs worldwide is high. It has been suggested simply to legalise all recreational drugs to solve the problems associated with them. I personally agree partially with this proposal, because I can see many advantages, yet also many disadvantages.
One positive aspect of legalising these drugs would be that the number of criminal activities committed to obtain them would decrease. Fewer people would therefore be imprisoned and have a criminal history that prevents them from progressing in life. Additionally, essential police resources would be freed up and devoted to other areas. Finally, high taxes could be imposed on the legal product, allowing governments to have better resources to improve the infrastructure of their countries.
Although legalising all illegal drugs could result in several positive effects, there are many negative effects that could be possible. As a result of the legalisation, I personally believe that it would become acceptable to use drugs and people would no longer pay attention to the damage that drugs cause. Schools might no longer educate teenagers and adolescents about the negative effects drugs have on people, resulting in more teenagers experimenting with them, as they would believe that this is a normal aspect of life. This would result in a higher number of drug addicts and potentially in more deaths, because it would be easier to obtain a large amount of illegal drugs and therefore the chances of overdosing would also increase.
In conclusion, I partially agree with the proposed action. Nonetheless, I think that an age restriction should be placed on drug use, as teenagers and adolescents could easily become addicted if all illegal drugs are legalised. This group of people is highly at risk of becoming addicted and potentially dying as a result of drug use and therefore should only be allowed to consume drugs after reaching a certain age.
