The IELTS practice essay questions below are for the topic of education.
Some educationalists think that international exchange visits will benefit teenagers at the school. To what extent do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? (Reported 2020, Academic Test)
For centuries, important parts of education have remained such as reading, writing and maths. With the advent of computers, some people think that computer skill be made as a fourth skill to be added to the list.
To what extent do you agree? (Reported 2017, Academic Test)
The government should allocate more funding to teaching sciences rather than other subjects in order for a country to develop and progress.
To what extent do you agree? (Reported 2017, Academic Test)
Discipline is an ever increasing problem in modern schools. Some people think that discipline should be the responsibility of teachers, while others think that this is the role of parents.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
Some people believe that children should not be given homework everyday, while others believe that they must get homework everyday in order to be successful at school.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion. (Reported 2017, GT Test)
Some children receive almost no encouragement from their parents regarding their performance at school, while other children receive too much pressure from their over enthusiastic parents which can have a negative impact on the child.
Why do you think some parents put too much pressure on their children to perform well at school?
What do you think the role of a parent should be in their child’s education?
The role of education is to prepare children for the modern world. Schools should cut art and music out of the curriculum so that children can focus on useful subjects such as information technology.
To what extent do you agree?
Some parents believe that their children should do educational activities during their free time. Others say that in this way children are under pressure.
Discuss both views and give your opinion. (Reported 2017, GT Test)
Some people think that teachers should be able to ask disruptive children to leave the class.
Do you think it is the best way to deal with a disruptive child in the classroom?
What other solutions are there?
Education should be accessible to people of all economic backgrounds. All levels of education, from primary school to tertiary education, should be free.
To what extent do you agree with this opinion?
The current trend in education is to move away from traditional exams and instead have continuous assessment over the school year.
What do you think of this trend?
Some people think that educated people are more valuable than people who have learned skills through experience.
Do you think that educated people are the most valuable for society?
What kinds of skills can people learn through experience that can benefit society?
Being able to speak a foreign language is an advantage these days. Some people think that children should start learning a foreign language at primary school, while others think children should begin in secondary school.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
The gap between education in richer countries and education in poorer countries is a growing concern.
What solutions can you suggest to deal with this situation?
Some schools are very strict about their school uniforms and the appearance of their pupils, while other schools have a very relaxed dress code.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of children of having a school uniform?
In some high schools, part of the curriculum requires students to participate in community work such as helping the elderly or disabled.
In what way do children benefit from this?
Do you think it should be part of the curriculum?
The best way to help underachieving pupils is to have compulsory after school activities which they must attend. This way they will become more involved in school and their grades will improve.
To what extent do you agree?
Some people think that parents have the greatest influence on their child’s academic development, while others think that a child’s teacher has more influence.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
In some countries, girls and boys are educated in different schools rather than in the same school.
What are the advantages and disadvantage of this?
In nearly all science courses at university, there are significantly more male students than female students.
What is the reason for this?
What could be done to balance out the numbers?
Some people think that it is beneficial for old people to learn something new while others believe that once a person is past 65 years of age it is too late to learn.
What is your opinion?
It is thought by some that a school teacher’s role is to motivate and inspire students. However, other people believe that a teacher’s primary role is to pass on knowledge.
What do you think is the role of a teacher?
Fewer schools are requiring children to learn and improve their hand writing skills.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages of this trend?
Reported essay questions are from students who have taken their IELTS test. These questions may vary slightly in wording from the original question.