Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
EDUCATION
1. Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others,
however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
I. Introduction
- Thesis: it is up to the parents or the children to decide which model is preferable.
II. Body
1. Benefits of single-sex schools
- reduces distractions and encourages pupils to concentrate on their studies
- allows more equality among pupils and gives more opportunity to all those at the
school to choose subjects more freely without gender prejudice
2. Benefits of mixed schools
- Girls and boys learn to live and work together => not emotionally underdeveloped in
their relations with the opposite sex
- learn from each other, and to experience different types of skill and talent
III. Conclusion
- Restatement: Personally, I think that there are advantages to both systems.
2. Discuss the view “University students have to pay for their tuition fees”.
I. Introduction
- Thesis: Whether the tuition fees are different, yet, affect the quality of education in both two sides.
II. Body
1. Benefits if paying tuition fee is applied to all students.
- For students:
+ have more rights to propose policy changes to suit their needs.
+ students born into poor families are motivated to learn better.
- For schools: tuition fees can help to improve:
+ the university’s facilities
+ the lecturers’ salary
reinforce the training quality
2. Drawbacks of this practice
- Financial troubles to poor families
many students quit their study since they cannot afford their study and other expenses
III. Conclusion
- Restatement: The policy of paying tuition fees has been a big concern of many people from
students, their parents to the teachers and the authority.
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Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
3. Education is very important. How can children who are disinterested in study be motivated
to learn?
I. Introduction
- Thesis: there are many ways which contribute to making school subjects likeable, as the
following essay will explain.
II. Body
1. Recognizing children’s best qualities
2. Combining learning and playing
3. Being professional teachers
III. Conclusion
- Restatement: Recognizing children’s best qualities, enhancing and giving incentives for
their contribution in class as well as having professional teachers, could benefit
enormously children’s interest in school.
4. Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society.
Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
I. Introduction
- Thesis: Teaching the next generation how to be valuable members of society cannot be the
responsibility of the parents alone.
II. Body
1. Parents’ responsibility
- A good member of any society = individual respect, obey the rules of the community and share
values
- Educating children begins in the home:
+ parents are certainly the first to help children learn
what is important in life
how they are expected to behave
what role they will play in their world
+ parents can be the ‘mirrors’ or ‘models’ who children can learn from
what parents do or behave affects their children’s responsibility
2. Schools’ influence
- Children go to school = enter a wider community with teachers and peers.
- At school, children experience working and living with people from various
backgrounds
Teach them how to: + cooperate with other people
+ contribute to the community
Teachers and peers have just as much influence as parents do at home
III. Conclusion
- Restatement: It is the responsibility of every member of a society for helping younger generation
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to become valuable members of that society.
Compiled and edited by Pham Thu Ha (thuha0909@yahoo.com)
Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
5. In many countries, students attend private “cram schools” for extra coaching in test-
taking techniques.
What is your view of this trend?
I. Introduction
- Thesis: Cram schools are big business, may not be a good thing.
II. Body
1. Cram schools serve a need
- Give students opportunity to have extra practice on what they’ve learned
- Students can get more support from teachers
- Many students who attend such schools do well in exams
- Some people always want to get ahead
There will always be businesses that want to exploit the desire.
2. Drawbacks of cram schools
- Teach students to be ‘test-wise’ rather than to learn.
- Can be stressful
- Unfair because they give advantage to students who can afford to pay
3. Solutions
- Vary the format of exams and match them to what is taught
(in countries with good exam that properly reflect the curriculum, there are few cram
schools => fair for everyone)
- If students pay attention in school, there is no need for additional cramming
III. Conclusion
- Restatement: Cram schools are a symptom of a faulty educational system.
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Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
MODAL ESSAYS
1. Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others,
however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Some countries have single-sex education models, while in others both single sex and
mixed schools co-exist and it is up to the parents or the children to decide which model is
preferable.
Some educationalists think it is more effective to educate boys and girls in single-sex
schools because they believe this environment reduces distractions and encourages pupils to
concentrate on their studies. This is probably true to some extent. It also allows more equality
among pupils and gives more opportunity to all those at the school to choose subjects more
freely without gender prejudice. For example, a much higher proportion of girls study science
to a high level when they attend girls’ schools than their counterparts in mixed schools do.
Similarly, boys in single-sex schools are more likely to take cookery classes and to study
languages, which are often thought of as traditional subjects for girls.
On the other hand, some experts would argue that mixed schools prepare their pupils
better for their future lives. Girls and boys learn to live and work together from an early age
and are consequently not emotionally underdeveloped in their relations with the opposite sex.
They are also able to learn from each other, and to experience different types of skill and
talent than might be evident in a single gender environment.
Personally, I think that there are advantages to both systems. I went to a mixed school,
but feel that I myself missed the opportunity to specialize in science because it was seen as the
natural domain and career path for boys when I was a girl. As a result, I would have preferred
to go to a girls’ school. But hopefully times have changed, and both genders of student can
have equal chances to study what they want to in whichever type of school they attend.
(304 words)
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Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
2. Discuss the view: “University students have to pay for their tuition fees”.
In Vietnam, there is a fact that almost all people want to enter university after leaving high school.
However, one of the big issues to consider before choosing a university is its tuition fee. Whereas
teacher-training schools or military schools offer a free education, others require students to pay for
their study. Whether the tuition fees are different, yet, affect the quality of education in both two sides.
There are many benefits for both students and administrators if paying tuition fee is applied to all
students. First, thanks to the contribution to the finance of schools, the students may have more rights
to propose policy changes to suit their needs. Second, students born into poor family may have to
borrow money from a bank for paying fees; however, it turned out to be a motivator for them to learn
better. As far as short-term goals are concerned, a good job with high salary which helps them pay the
debt does not allow them to neglect their studies. Most of all, that students have to pay for their tuition
fees can help their universities reinforce the training quality. In this way, the university’s facilities and
the lecturers’ salary can be improved thanks to a certain amount of the fund.
On the other hand, it seems extremely challenging for poor families to send their children to the
university. The tuition fees together with accommodation price and other daily expenses cause a real
trouble to these families. In fact, many Vietnamese students have to quit their study since they cannot
afford their study and living in the city. This is a considerable disadvantage for the schools, especially
when those students are good ones. On this evidence, paying tuition fees becomes one of the reasons
that reduce the studying opportunities for everyone.
The policy of paying tuition fees has been a big concern of many people from students, their parents
to the teachers and the authority. Whether the fee is high or low or even free, it will be a great support
if students can contribute to the finance of their university. In response to that, they may have chance to
receive scholarships or special allowance when they have good results and certain achievements.
(By Pham Thu Ha – 370 words)
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Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
3. Education is very important. How can children who are disinterested in study be motivated
to learn?
There is a significant number of young students who are not motivated enough in their
school studies; however, there are many ways which contribute to making school subjects
likeable, as the following essay will explain.
Primarily, it is reasonable to argue that it is teachers’ responsibility to enhance children’s
strongest skills. For example, evaluating and praising students for their good work or effort
could benefit in building their self-esteem and helping them become more interested in school.
A teacher who knows that a particular child might not be as good in math, but very talented in
drawing could allow the child to post his drawings on the wall. This could inspire other children
as well.
Another point that could be considered is that, depending on the age of children, school
and study should be represented as an interpretation of learning and play. For instance, young
children who are less interested in studies are likely to be more interested in playing. In that
way, games could be used to discreetly impact academic information.
Finally, an additional factor in helping some students to be more interested in their
studies is teachers. Educators who do not have sufficient knowledge about the subject they
teach are not likely to encourage those children. It is generally accepted that an energetic
teacher who possesses enough talent can make teaching fun and desirable for most students.
In brief, the three reasons represented above could help greatly in drawing some
children’s attention into studying school subjects. Recognizing children’s best qualities,
enhancing and giving incentives for their contribution in class as well as having professional
teachers, could benefit enormously children’s interest in school.
(278 words)
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Compiled and edited by Pham Thu Ha (thuha0909@yahoo.com)
Essay Writing Son La, Summer 2014
4. Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society.
Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
A child’s education has never been about learning information and basic skills only. It has always
included teaching the next generation how to be good members of society. Therefore, this cannot
be the responsibility of the parents alone.
In order to be a good member of any society, the individual must respect and obey the rules of
their community and share their values. Educating children to understand the need to obey rules
and respect others always begins in the home and is widely thought to be the responsibility of
parents. They will certainly be the first to help children learn what is important in life, how they are
expected to behave and what role they will play in their world.
However, learning to understand and share the value system of a whole society cannot be
achieved just in home. Once a child goes to school, they are entering a wider community where
teachers and peers will have just as much influence as their parents do at home. At school, children
will experience working and living with people from a whole variety of backgrounds from the wider
society. This experience should teach them how to co-operate with each other and how to
contribute to the life of their community.
But to be a valuable member of any community is not like learning a simple skill. It is something
that an individual goes on learning throughout life and it is the responsibility of every member of a
society to take responsibility for helping the younger generation to become active and able
members of the society.
(263 words)
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