This is an IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of education spending from the real exam.
It is an interesting question and provides a good example of how to develop clear main ideas.
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IELTS Writing Task 2 General Training Sample Answer Essay: Education Spending (Real Past IELTS Exam/Test)
Some believe that money for education should mainly be spent on better computers while others believe it would be better spent on teachers.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Real Past IELTS Exam/Test
Many today are of the view that education funding ought to be chiefly directed towards upgrading computer technology in schools while others would prioritise teachers. In my opinion, better computers will have the most identifiable impact, but teacher quality is more important.
Those who want increased investment in computers can highlight the unquestioned relevance of computers today and in the future. The single most important skill students will learn and that will serve them in professional and personal contexts over the course of their life, will be computer literacy. Jobs in traditional domains are rapidly vanishing or deteriorating while information technology positions are the most likely to be stable in an uncertain future job market. Someone who learns how to code in school will have a lifetime job at a good salary. This clear evidence insulates from criticism decision-makers opting for increased funding for computers over teachers.
Regardless, the overall impact of teachers is far greater, if not as immediately discernible. A good example of this is in Finland, which has invested heavily in education generally and in teachers particularly. Teachers often remain with the same students for years and are able to form stable bonds, guiding them through both their social and intellectual development. Students will remember these teachers their entire lives but the greatest impact comes from the values and habits instilled by teachers that may never reach the level of conscious gratitude. Students will simply be indebted to them without being able to trace the roots of some of their best qualities.
In conclusion, the quantifiable support for investing in computers only veils the true value teachers hold for education. Educational leaders with the vision to make unpopular, risky decisions will reap later rewards.
Analysis
1. Many today are of the view that education funding ought to be chiefly directed towards upgrading computer technology in schools while others would prioritise teachers. 2. In my opinion, better computers will have the most identifiable impact, but teacher quality is more important.
- Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
- Write your opinion clearly.
1. Those who want increased investment in computers can highlight the unquestioned relevance of computers today and in the future. 2. The single most important skill students will learn and that will serve them in professional and personal contexts over the course of their life, will be computer literacy. 3. Jobs in traditional domains are rapidly vanishing or deteriorating while information technology positions are the most likely to be stable in an uncertain future job market. 4. Someone who learns how to code in school will have a lifetime job at a good salary. 5. This clear evidence insulates from criticism decision-makers opting for increased funding for computers over teachers.
- Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Being to develop your main idea.
- Keep developing it with supporting ideas – don’t switch to a new main idea.
- Here I include a hypothetical example.
- I conclude the paragraph with a criticism of this approach which leads into my next paragraph.
1. Regardless, the overall impact of teachers is far greater, if not as immediately discernible. 2. A good example of this is in Finland, which has invested heavily in education generally and in teachers particularly. 3. Teachers often remain with the same students for years and are able to form stable bonds, guiding them through both their social and intellectual development. 4. Students will remember these teachers their entire lives but the greatest impact comes from the values and habits instilled by teachers that may never reach the level of conscious gratitude. 5. Students will simply be indebted to them without being able to trace the roots of some of their best qualities.
- Write another topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
- Give an example – make it specific.
- Develop the example.
- Pull out the results of your example.
- Conclude the paragraph with a powerful statement!
1. In conclusion, the quantifiable support for investing in computers only veils the true value teachers hold for education. 2. Educational leaders with the vision to make unpopular, risky decisions will reap later rewards.
- Repeat your opinion.
- Add in a final detail or thought.
Vocabulary
What do the words in bold below mean?
Many today are of the view that education funding ought to be chiefly directed towards upgrading computer technology in schools while others would prioritise teachers. In my opinion, better computers will have the most identifiable impact, but teacher quality is more important.
Those who want increased investment in computers can highlight the unquestioned relevance of computers today and in the future. The single most important skill students will learn and that will serve them in professional and personal contexts over the course of their life, will be computer literacy. Jobs in traditional domains are rapidly vanishing or deteriorating while information technology positions are the most likely to be stable in an uncertain future job market. Someone who learns how to code in school will have a lifetime job at a good salary. This clear evidence insulates from criticism decision-makers opting for increased funding for computers over teachers.
Regardless, the overall impact of teachers is far greater, if not as immediately discernible. A good example of this is in Finland, which has invested heavily in education generally and in teachers particularly. Teachers often remain with the same students for years and are able to form stable bonds, guiding them through both their social and intellectual development. Students will remember these teachers their entire lives but the greatest impact comes from the values and habits instilled by teachers that may never reach the level of conscious gratitude. Students will simply be indebted to them without being able to trace the roots of some of their best qualities.
In conclusion, the quantifiable support for investing in computers only veils the true value teachers hold for education. Educational leaders with the vision to make unpopular, risky decisions will reap later rewards.
Answers
of the view believe
education funding money spent on schools
chiefly directed mainly sent to
upgrading computer technology improving existing computers
prioritise make more important
identifiable impact clear effect
highlight focus on
unquestioned relevance no doubt of its importance
serve help
professional trained
personal contexts personal life
course of their life as long as they live
computer literacy being good with a computer
traditional domains normal jobs
rapidly vanishing disappearing quickly
deteriorating getting worse
information technology positions jobs related to computers
stable unchanging, steady
uncertain future job market unclear how employment will be later
lifetime job employed for life
insulates from criticism protects them from critics
decision-makers people who decide, policy-makers
far greater much stronger
if not as immediately discernible though it is not as clear
generally overall
particularly especially
form stable bonds get to know well
guiding helping
social and intellectual development getting along with others and academics
entire lives whole life
values what’s important
habits instilled what they are taught
reach get to
conscious gratitude knowing you owe thanks to
indebted owing thanks to
trace the roots find the source
best qualities finest characteristics
quantifiable support clear evidence
veils obscures
true value actual importance
hold have
vision conviction
unpopular not popular
risky decisions difficult choices
reap later rewards benefit them in the end
Pronunciation
ɒv ðə vjuː
ˌɛdju(ː)ˈkeɪʃən ˈfʌndɪŋ
ˈʧiːfli dɪˈrɛktɪd
ʌpˈgreɪdɪŋ kəmˈpjuːtə tɛkˈnɒləʤi
praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪz
aɪˈdɛntɪfaɪəbl ˈɪmpækt
ˈhaɪˌlaɪt
ʌnˈkwɛsʧənd ˈrɛlɪvəns
sɜːv
prəˈfɛʃənl
ˈpɜːsnl ˈkɒntɛksts
kɔːs ɒv ðeə laɪf
kəmˈpjuːtə ˈlɪtərəsi
trəˈdɪʃənl dəʊˈmeɪnz
ˈræpɪdli ˈvænɪʃɪŋ
dɪˈtɪərɪəreɪtɪŋ
ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən tɛkˈnɒləʤi pəˈzɪʃənz
ˈsteɪbl
ʌnˈsɜːtn ˈfjuːʧə ʤɒb ˈmɑːkɪt
ˈlaɪftaɪm ʤɒb
ˈɪnsjʊleɪts frɒm ˈkrɪtɪsɪzm
dɪˈsɪʒən-ˈmeɪkəz
fɑː ˈgreɪtə
ɪf nɒt æz ɪˈmiːdiətli dɪˈsɜːnəbl
ˈʤɛnərəli
pəˈtɪkjʊləli
fɔːm ˈsteɪbl bɒndz
ˈgaɪdɪŋ
ˈsəʊʃəl ænd ˌɪntɪˈlɛktjʊəl dɪˈvɛləpmənt
ɪnˈtaɪə lɪvz
ˈvæljuːz
ˈhæbɪts ɪnˈstɪld
riːʧ
ˈkɒnʃəs ˈgrætɪtjuːd
ɪnˈdɛtɪd
treɪs ðə ruːts
bɛst ˈkwɒlɪtiz
ˈkwɒntɪfaɪəbl səˈpɔːt
veɪlz
truː ˈvæljuː
həʊld
ˈvɪʒən
ʌnˈpɒpjʊlə
ˈrɪski dɪˈsɪʒənz
riːp ˈleɪtə rɪˈwɔːdz
Listen and repeat:
Vocabulary Practice
Remember and fill in the blanks:
Many today are o____________w that e_________________g ought to be c________________________d towards u___________________________y in schools while others would p____________e teachers. In my opinion, better computers will have the most i__________________t, but teacher quality is more important.
Those who want increased investment in computers can h____________t the u________________________e of computers today and in the future. The single most important skill students will learn and that will s________e them in p____________________l and p________________s over the c_____________________e, will be c___________________y. Jobs in t_____________________s are r__________________g or d____________________g while i____________________________________s are the most likely to be s___________e in an u__________________________________t. Someone who learns how to code in school will have a l__________________b at a good salary. This clear evidence i_______________________m d____________________s opting for increased funding for computers over teachers.
Regardless, the overall impact of teachers is f________________r, i__________________________________e. A good example of this is in Finland, which has invested heavily in education g________________y and in teachers p_______________y. Teachers often remain with the same students for years and are able to f_____________________s, g_____________g them through both their s__________________________t. Students will remember these teachers their e_______________s but the greatest impact comes from the v___________s and h____________________d by teachers that may never r_________h the level of c______________________e. Students will simply be i________________d to them without being able to t__________________s of some of their b__________________s.
In conclusion, the q________________________t for investing in computers only v____________s the t____________________e teachers h________d for education. Educational leaders with the v__________n to make u_______________r, r_______________s will r__________________s.
Listen and check:
Listening Practice
Learn here about Finland’s teacher training schools:
Reading Practice
Read another perspective on computer literacy here:
https://www.wired.com/2015/08/schools-dont-think-kids-want-learn-computer-science/
Speaking Practice
Practice with the real questions from the IELTS speaking exam below:
Interacting with Others
- Do you like talking to strangers?
- What was the last conversation you had?
- Do you discuss politics with your friends?
- Are families in your country very talkative?
Writing Practice
Write about the related question below then check with my sample answer:
More and more students at university today are not choosing to study science.
Why is this happening?
What are the effects of this?
Real Past IELTS Exam
Some are of the view that an education budget should be spent on the up-gradation of computers while others prioritize teachers. In my opinion, although expenditure on computers will make students future-ready, emphasizing educators will enhance the overall education system.
Proponents of spending on the advancement of computers advocate that this will make students employable. It is a well-known fact that this era is of computer and technology. The biggest recruiters of the decades are technology giants such as Google and Amazon. The demand for data scientists, cloud engineers, and artificial intelligence engineers will rise in the coming years. All these fields require sophisticated high configuration equipment, which most of the current universities and colleges lack. So, it becomes vital to divert funds to facilitate public institutes to procure these machines to improve the employment prospects of the students.
Despite the aforementioned reason, I believe money should be invested in the teachers to strengthen the education system. Teachers all over the world are notoriously underpaid, which has downgraded the level of education in many countries. If there will be a greater incentive in working as a teacher, there could be better teachers both in the colleges as well as in the schools as most of the competent professors turn to private companies allured by better remuneration in comparison to teaching. For instance, Finland has been successful in retaining talented teachers by providing the highest salaries in the world and, consequently, has the best education system in the world.
In conclusion, I consider there some short-term benefits of investing in computers, especially for university students. Still, money spent on teachers will have a long-term and more significant impact on the quality of education imparted in a country. The government should also focus on the training and upskilling already enrolled teachers.
Your second paragraph is really strong – specific example and fully developed – perfect!
The third is as well though the claims about Finland are too strong and could be slightly softened: one of the best, some of the highest, etc.
Keep it up with that style!
Thank you!
You’re welcome!