To what extent do you agree or disagree?

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

There is a lot of pressure on young people today to succeed academically. As a result, some people believe that non-academic subjects, such as physical education and cookery, should be removed from the school syllabus so that children can concentrate on academic work.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.

Write at least 250 words.

It is believed that non-academic subjects such as cookery and physical education should be excluded from the school curriculum in order to allow students to concentrate more on their academic works. I think this is not a wise idea.

The first reason why I oppose to the proposal is because of the professional value of these subjects. To be precise, school students get a basic idea about such subjects, which may be foundation stones to their future professions. For example, many universities pursue both undergraduate and post-graduate studies in these specialised areas, which are much-demanded in the job market today. It would be much beneficial for those students who would like to take up their professions in these areas when these are taught from school level itself.

Another reason why I object to this idea is that these subjects include some essential skills which are much needed for a productive citizen. In case of physical education, it gives the student the fundemantal lessons of healthy lifestyle and teaches them the importance of being physically fit. Many studies have proven that a healthy mind exists only in a healthy body. It also prevents adverse conditions such as childhood obesity. Turning to cookery, it teaches a school student to survive in difficult conditions such as when there are limited provisons for cooking.

I have to admit that there are some occasions when academically promising students deviate their attention more towards these areas at school. However, this can be identified by the respective teachers and they can be easily brought back to their studies.

To conclude, though some non-academic subjects seem to acts as distractors, the benefits when these are in the curriculum far outweigh when these are excluded.