Issues Essay Practice - Please rate! :-)

[sakers]

Please rate and comment on the essay I have written within the 30-minute alloted time frame. Below is the prompt, followed by the response I have provided. I openly invite your comments and ratings of this essay. Thank you in advance!

 

Prompt: 

A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

 

 

Response:

                Once an individual begins their college career, they are presented with a plethora of options for majors, minors, extracurriculars, etc. This allows students to immerse themselves in courses that make them feel confident and passionate in the future they hope to develop for themselves. Without this opportunity, students are left unware of the many subjects and studies they have available. For a nation to require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they entered college would be an absolute abomination to the wide varieties and studies celebrated throughout many cultures today and would ultimately cause suffering amongst all students.

                In many nations, grade school children are given the opportunities to explore a range of potential studies and disciplines. While some are gifted in the field of science, others are gifted in the field of music. To force either student to compromise on their talents and passions would lead both children without motivation or enthusiasm to learn and grow. Once an individual reaches the college level, they are to select a path for which their studies will revolve around that particular subject area. If the child who loves and excels in science is able to hone and sharpen his or her skills at the grade school levels instead of having to stick to the national curriculum that says he or she must take a music course, he or she may not be given the time wanted to pursue science. The national curriculum would cause both the scientist and the musician to lose time engaging in courses that truly spark their passion and creativity.

                By enforcing a national curriculum, there is also the potential that students forced to take certain classes at the same level as everyone else to either becoming extremely discouraged at their lack of abilities to do well in a particular course, or conversely, be incredibly bogged down by the pace and therefore not excel as quickly as they may be capable of doing. If a student does not feel they are confident and can do well in an English course discussing Shakespeare as the other students in that classroom, he or she may begin to question his or her intelligence and self-worth, which may result in a myriad of complications and could potentially lead to the student dropping out of school before reaching the college level. At the same token, a student who is naturally gifted and understands the pen of Shakespeare very well may feel her or she is left bored with the pace of other students and may become incredibly apathetic and bored towards the subject, and could also lose focus in class. No matter which side of the spectrum the student falls, a national curriculum can have lasting and detrimental effects on the students being taught.

                One positive light that a national curriculum might bring forward is the idea that children of all socioeconomic backgrounds will be on an even playing field in terms of the information that is being taught. Although this may create a better chance for children of these diverse backgrounds to have the same opportunities, there are still many flaws to a national curriculum. Given that all students would then be starting at severely different levels of knowledge and abilities to learn, no student would be able to successfully achieve a well-rounded education. Suppose the expected math level of a 9^th grader should be Calculus 1. For many individuals of certain backgrounds, Calculus 1 is incredibly challenging and therefore extra help and tutoring would be necessary. This, however, proves to be detrimental as not every family is able to financially support this necessity. This also ties back into the arguments above detailing why this student is now being snubbed of their freedom to choose a different math level better suited for them or the potential to feel great discouragement. The matter of bringing children of all socioeconomic backgrounds to a level playing field for higher education does not lie in a national curriculum, but rather a raise in allocation of money to education of lower SES areas and an overall push for education as a whole.

                Regardless of the classes take by students prior to their college experience, it is the ultimate importance that children receive the education they deserve. A national curriculum is not the best choice for students as the negative effects is may have on a child’s learning is far too impactful. Giving students the ability to have a say in the classes they feel they will do best in will result in much better outcomes than that of a national curriculum.