It is widely acknowledged that the primary objective of school education is to impart theoretical knowledge and not acquisition of life skills. However, it does not necessitate schools offering car repair or bank account management lessons, in my opinion.
There are several obvious advantages to maintaining the focus of school education to the teaching of academic subjects, namely science, mathematics, history and languages. It is a well-known fact that we now live in a knowledge based economy in which independent thinking and problem solving skills are more crucial to success at the workplace. Further, we should not overlook the fact that many ineluctable subjects are currently finding their way into the curriculum such as business management and computers. Their inclusion has rendered timetables full, leaving schools little time to teach any life skills.
Moreover, skills such as operating a bank account or fixing a car are not too complex or profound to be taught in an academic setting. People hardly complain about not having taught how to avail of banking services when they were in school. Financial prudence is usually gained in later stages of life by making pecuniary transactions on a daily basis. Finally, car maintenance is an inconsequential skill as most people prefer taking their cars to a qualified mechanic to fixing them on their own.
To conclude, school hours are too limited to fit in practical skills such as accounting or car fixing. Any effort to incorporate them in the curriculum would only upset the study of more important academic subjects.
Readership of newspapers is said to be declining in the face of deep electronic media penetration forcing many to conjecture that the future of print journalism is bleak. Although it is admitted that the explosion of the internet and television has increased the range of media choices available to the average reader, cutting into the dominance of newspapers as the main source of news, predictions of their sudden demise carry little conviction.
It is quite true that the arrival of television in the 1950's and the invention of the internet in the 1990's have proved to be dangerous foes for the traditional newspaper model. Their appeal lies in easy accessibility and lower cost. As access to online newspapers is practically free, readers can dip in and out according to how they perceive the urgency of events. Further, sophisticated search engines allow them to personalise the news to their own priorities and interests. As news stories break, news websites post minute by minute updates. There are no space inhibitions to prevent narrative or analysis and documents or events cited in the news stories can always be accessed in full proving to be an impressive departure from the straitjacket of newspaper reading.
However, the precocious pessimism and unwarranted hyperbole of those who proclaim the imminent demise of the physical newspaper is clearly unsustainable. A quick perusal of any leading daily tells us that they have already adopted measures to weather the trough in readership. They appear to be revising content to target younger readers as well as carrying shorter shorties acting on the prevalent assumption that the attention span of the general public is shrinking, along with using the social media to their advantage. Further, the long term relationship most dailies share with their readers will keep them relevant. In other words, so many people are habituated to reading the newspaper with their cup of tea in the morning. It is hard to imagine that anyone who is accustomed to reading a newspaper in the physical form would forego it in the name of better portability and convenience.
To conclude, as long as newspapers strive to forge ahead by dispensing with the obsolete methods of news presentation and people do not break their age old habit of following the news in a physical format, the digital media will not outlast them.
It is inarguable that everyone must contribute towards keeping the environment safe including children.While one view is that they must be taught how to recycle in school, the number of people who want this responsibility to be borne by their parents is not a minority. Although the key to successful recycling programmes could start in the classroom, my view is that parents will be better suited to impart practical training in this regard.
The argument that young children must learn about recycling as part of their academic life does have its merits. Those propose this idea stress the fact that it can easily be integrated into the curriculum with other subjects such as geography and biology. They contend that if children learn about the adverse impact of not recycling in their early childhood and throughout their school years, they are more likely to cultivate the habit of recycling waste and buying products with less packaging. However, the drawback here is that they cannot always be expected to practise what they have learned in a classroom setting.
On the other hand, consigning the responsibility to parents seems to be more pragmatic in approach. This is mainly because most of the recycling takes place in the house hold where the role of children can be participatory. Parents can,for instance, ensure that their young ones develop the habit of sorting waste and putting it in the dustbin.In addition, it is true that parents wield a greater influence over their children than teachers at school. A child would rather heed to the advice of his parent than any teacher as their bonds are stronger.
To conclude, although the proposition that classroom instruction can inculcate recycling habits among young individuals appears to be persuasive, in practice, that training would be more efficacious coming from family members.
The issue whether learning at home or school is preferable for children still remains unsettled. While home education is safer for children, promoting individual learning and providing opportunities for families to bond, schools boast of a superior range of material and human resources. I am more inclined to think that school education is best for young children.
There are several advantages to children being educated at home. Firstly, they can spend more quality time with their parents and siblings. It is a well-known fact that many social problems stem from families not spending enough time together. Further, teaching children at home facilitates an individualised learning environment. Instruction is personalised and is in accordance with the child's pace and learning style. Finally, in home schooling children are safe from bullying and other negative influences.
However, attending school offers advantages for children too. At school, children get ample opportunities to socialise with their peers and learn how to cope with bullying, peer pressure and gossip. In addition, as schools employ qualified and experienced trainers for each discipline, children will be receiving better tutition.Moreover, schools provide better access to all sorts of resources, ranging from library books, musical instruments and sporting equipment.
To conclude, children stand to reap more benefits from a school environment. Although family bonding and individualised instruction are important, home schooling cannot match the inimitable range of expertise and resources schools possess. As one of the primary responsibilities of a school is to prepare its students for the challenges of tomorrow, children must be encouraged to tackle the difficult social situations on their own.
Our association with music begins as early as in childhood and continues throughout our lives indulging in it often, deriving excitement or solace. Music is not directly important for our survival, but for most of us life would be less interesting without it as we still have not come up with a better way to communicate our emotions, intentions and identity. Among the different genres of music in the world today, in my opinion, the traditional music of a country is more important than the international music that is heard everywhere nowadays.
In the first place, music is an essential part of how most of us enjoy our leisure time. It is so engrossing that we forget about our trials and worries of everyday existence. It has the power to elicit deeply personal and specific patterns of thought and emotion in us. Further, we need it to celebrate special occasions. Without music, it would not be the same celebrating at sporting events or embracing landmark moments such as wedding or birthdays. It also has the potential to help us perform better. Exposure to music activates and engages different areas of the brain,and has been shown to enhance memory and other cognitive functions.
What makes traditional music more important is the role it plays in preserving a nation's culture, history and identity. It reveals the evolution of a society in terms of livelihood, values and aspirations. The knowledge can motivate its members to work towards achieving common goals and sharing their concerns. However, it is admitted that global music might always have wider audience as it plays to universal human feelings namely love, loneliness and loss but it can never fulfill the functions of traditional music better.
To conclude, the creation and performance of music maybe the exclusive domain of a few but its appeal permeates age and region and will never lose its sway in our lives.
Gone are the days when air travel was a luxury only the wealthy could afford. In this era of globalisation,hundreds of thousands of people travel by air worldwide thanks to airline companies lowering their fares and operating more flights. However, it is contended that the economic viability of flying could have a deleterious effect on the environment.
It is undeniable that the heat, noise and gases emitted by aircrafts endanger the environment and human health and air travel the largest unrestricted source of carbon pollution in most developed countries.However,the policy of opposing the move to make traveling by air more affordable would be very unpopular with everyone keen to travel long distance. The measure can only restrict the number of journeys made beyond a country and people will still travel by road defeating the objective of bringing down pollution.
On the other hand, if more people traveled across the world, it would promote a deeper understanding of different cultures promoting better relations among nations and world peace. More visitors from other countries will stimulate tourism which would increase tax revenue providing governments more disposable funds to invest in fields such as education,infrastructure and health. In addition,global travel has been widely regarded as a physically and mentally healthy pursuit.The benefits of traveling to faraway locations range from a break from mundane and hectic lifestyles to exploring places of scenic beauty or historic importance.
To conclude,tackling pollution is not a matter of what mode of transport people use.The solution to the problem lies in developing environmental friendly fuels and promoting fuel efficient airplanes.
In this modern world the measure of professional success often appears to be the salary an individual draws at his job. Although it is not disputed that a sufficiently high income is necessary for one to lead a healthy lifestyle, there are several other factors worth considering prior to choosing a particular employment.
First and foremost, the environment a person needs to work in can definitely be decisive in bringing about job satisfaction. If the environment is positive, colleagues supportive and affable,coupled with the employer providing the adequate resources to accomplish the tasks he would definitely carry out his professional responsibilities contented, not only contributing to the growth of the organisation but improving the quality of his life in general as well. Further, he would be more satisfied in his present job if he believes he has exciting prospects of promotion which could fetch higher compensation and respect.
In addition, job satisfaction can also be impacted by the opportunities an employee has at the workplace to learn new skills and ideas. The position can involve adapting to new situations and tackling unanticipated challenges which would not only require putting to application one's academic skills but sharpening ingenuity too. The newly acquired expertise and exposure will definitely prove to be a source of glee as they can be useful in enhancing chances of rising from the ranks or securing the employment against dismissal.
To summarise, although financial considerations can heavily influence one's choice of employment in any field, evaluation of the work surroundings and potential for learning more can undoubtedly be quite useful in arriving at an appropriate decision.
It is a known fact that children and adults alike enjoy visiting a zoo. At the zoo they spend hours watching wild animals and birds from close quarters. However, many argue that apart from providing the visitors the joy of watching these species it has no practical benefits.In my view it also serves in terms of acting as a breeding ground for endangered animals and have great academic use.
To begin with, there are several animals and birds which have been reported to be on the verge of extinction. One of the obvious advantages of housing them at the zoo is that it will provide them opportunities to reproduce and save their race from disappearing. More importantly, these animals enjoy more security too within the confines of the area. They will be less prone to attacks from hunters and poachers.
Moreover, maintaining a zoo serves many educational purposes too. At the zoo, researchers are able to study animals and birds closely and use the data to assist in their research. It would be hazardous for them to tread into the forest and obtain first hand knowledge about them without risking their lives. In addition, the facilities can aid students in expanding their knowledge about wildlife along with bringing a good revenue to the government in the form of entry fees.
To conclude, in the interest of protecting those species which are diminishing in population and to create a better understanding about them in academic circles, it is highly necessary that zoos function.
In this modern world the measure of professional success often appears to be the salary an individual draws at his job. Although it is not disputed that a sufficiently high income is necessary for one to lead a healthy lifestyle, there are several other factors worth considering prior to choosing a particular employment.
First and foremost, the environment a person needs to work in can definitely be decisive in bringing about job satisfaction. If the environment is positive, colleagues supportive and affable,coupled with the employer providing the adequate resources to accomplish the tasks he would definitely carry out his professional responsibilities contented, not only contributing to the growth of the organisation but improving the quality of his life in general as well. Further, he would be more satisfied in his present job if he believes he has exciting prospects of promotion which could fetch higher compensation and respect.
In addition, job satisfaction can also be impacted by the opportunities an employee has at the workplace to learn new skills and ideas. The position can involve adapting to new situations and tackling unanticipated challenges which would not only require putting to application one's academic skills but sharpening ingenuity too. The newly acquired expertise and exposure will definitely prove to be a source of glee as they can be useful in enhancing chances of rising from the ranks or securing the employment against dismissal.
To summarise, although financial considerations can heavily influence one's choice of employment in any field, evaluation of the work surroundings and potential for learning more can undoubtedly be quite useful in arriving at an appropriate decision.
Universities are centres of higher education and research,offering a wide range of courses in various fields. Feminists around the world often advocate these institutions accepting the same number of male and female students in each discipline, to promote gender equality. However, many academicians are opposed to this idea of considering the sex of an applicant before offering a place. In my opinion, the criteria for admission of students at the tertiary level must be merit and aptitude to study.
To begin with, it would not be realistic for any university to stipulate the admission of the same number of men and women to any course offered in any discipline. It is a well known fact that different individuals have a varied amount of interest in different subjects. For example, in any country the proportion of females choosing to pursue nursing at the graduation level is higher than that of males. If fifty percentage of these positions are reserved for the male applicants, many females aspiring to become nursing professionals would be at a disadvantage. Therefore, it stands to reason that the meritorious must have the opportunity to study the subjects of their choice, with their gender identity not interfering.
Further, another important criterion in any university ought to consider is the aptitude of an applicant for his chosen field of study.Successful completion of a course by an individual is not only dictated by the amount of hardwork and research put in, but to a huge extent on his flair for it. If it is the only yardstick applied in the selection procedure before acceptance is a person's gender identity, the quality of a nation's future workforce would definetely be affected adversely.
To conclude, the efforts to promote gender equality must be encouraged, but it should not be achieved by compromising on potential and talent.
Some parents encourage their children to be competitive both in studies and contests, instilling in them the significance of individualism and personal achievement while others encourage collaboration among little ones, emphasising the need of cooperation in life. In my view, cooperative learning is preferable despite some of its obvious drawbacks.
In cooperative learning students work together towards a common goal, enjoying feelings of bonding with other members of the group. It not only promotes a sense of teamwork among them but provides a platform to enhance their communication skills too as the process involves adequate face to face communication. Further, this model of learning allows them to utilise their individual strengths in achieving the task. Working as a team each member is assigned a responsibility conforming to his strength and expertise,enhancing productivity and efficiency.
Similarly, the team members will also want to explore how well they can function as a single unit throughout the process and how strong personal relations can be.
However, It would also be relevant to consider the amount of benefit young ones can derive from the individual model in terms of knowledge and skills. As it is more suited for ordinary or slow students,the more inquisitive and eager ones might find the exercise of little use and feel disenchanted over time. A practical solution to overcome this situation is to conduct inter group contests which would mitigate the adverse effect of individualism and sustain the interest of the outstanding ones.
To conclude, the onus is on the teachers to identify the most suitable learning style for students and contemplate its outcomes. In cooperative learning success stems from collective efforts but in competitive learning one succeeds at the cost of other participants.