After seeing David's comments on my last essay, I decided to rewrite it, please have a look and I look forward to having feedback/suggestions
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Some people say that in all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, too much time is spent on learning facts and not enough on learning practical skills.
Do you agree or disagree?
It has been debated for many years whether students in schools and universities should focus on academic or practical courses. Some people complain that their children are spending too much time on learning facts, and they believe that practical skills should be the main focus, because those skills would be more use of future employment. On the other hand, other people argue that academic subjects are fundamental to general education, and students would need them to acquire further achievements in universities.
In most primary schools, numeracy and literacy are the compulsory courses. During this stage, it is true that kids spend most of their time on learning facts and memorizing formulas. Additionally, the main concentration of high school students is also academic subjects, including maths, physics, chemistry and biology. Thus, many parents would worry that their children may not have the sufficient skills to get a job after graduation as they do not spend enough time on practical subjects.
However, it is believed by high numbers of people that concentrating on studying academic subjects is the cornerstone for young students to succeed in universities. Courses in Chinese universities, such as engineering maths and statistics, would require students to have a strong background in calculus and algebra. Moreover, some universities might even not grant students who did not get high distinction in their high school the access to study some courses, for instance, bio-technology and actuarial science.
In conclusion, after careful consideration, although most children are required to spend most of their time learning academic subjects, I believe it is indeed necessary for them before they step into universities. Otherwise, their choices on desired studying area could be limited.
