Category: Education
In today’s knowledge based economy, what you earn equals what you have learned. Do you agree?
I. Introduction
- Hook: As the global economy shifts towards valuing knowledge and skills, the correlation between education and earnings becomes increasingly significant.
- Background: Brief overview of the knowledge-based economy and its emphasis on education and skills.
- Thesis Statement: In today’s knowledge-based economy, earnings largely depend on one’s education and skills, but other factors such as socio-economic background, networking, and market demand also play crucial roles in determining income.
II. Supporting View 1: Education and Skills Directly Influence Earnings
- Topic Sentence: Higher education and specialised skills directly correlate with higher earnings in the knowledge-based economy.
- Example 1: In Germany, individuals with advanced degrees in STEM fields earn significantly higher salaries compared to those with only secondary education.
- Example 2: In Singapore, the government’s focus on upskilling and continuous education has resulted in higher earnings for professionals in tech and finance sectors.
- Analysis: Discuss how these examples demonstrate the clear link between education/skills and earning potential, supporting the argument that what you earn depends on what you have learned.
III. Supporting View 2: Demand for Knowledge and Expertise
- Topic Sentence: The growing demand for specialised knowledge and expertise further emphasises the link between learning and earning.
- Example 1: In South Korea, the tech industry’s rapid growth has created a high demand for skilled software developers, leading to lucrative salaries for those with the right qualifications.
- Example 2: The biotechnology boom in Switzerland has resulted in high-paying jobs for individuals with specialised degrees in biotech and life sciences.
- Analysis: Examine how these examples illustrate that industries prioritising knowledge and expertise reward individuals with relevant educational backgrounds and skills.
IV. Opposing View 1: Influence of Socio-Economic Background
- Topic Sentence: Socio-economic background significantly affects earning potential, sometimes outweighing educational achievements.
- Example 1: In India, socio-economic disparities mean that individuals from privileged backgrounds often have better access to quality education and job opportunities, leading to higher earnings regardless of their skills.
- Example 2: In the United Kingdom, a report by the Sutton Trust indicates that individuals from affluent families often secure higher-paying jobs through connections and social capital, even if their academic achievements are not exceptional.
- Analysis: Discuss how these examples show that socio-economic background can have a substantial impact on earnings, challenging the notion that income is solely dependent on education and skills.
V. Opposing View 2: Role of Networking and Market Demand
- Topic Sentence: Networking and current market demand for certain professions also play crucial roles in determining earnings.
- Example 1: In Japan, the tradition of lifelong employment with large corporations often means that networking and company loyalty can lead to higher earnings, sometimes more so than individual qualifications.
- Example 2: The fluctuating demand in the gig economy, prevalent in many European countries, means that earnings can vary widely regardless of education, with market demand for certain skills dictating income levels.
- Analysis: Explore how these factors demonstrate that while education is important, other elements such as networking and market dynamics also critically influence earning potential.
VI. Conclusion
- Restate Thesis: While education and skills are crucial determinants of earnings in the knowledge-based economy, socio-economic background, networking, and market demand significantly influence income, suggesting a multifaceted relationship between learning and earning.
- Summary of Key Points: Recap the main supporting and opposing views discussed.
- Final Thought: Emphasise the importance of recognising and addressing the various factors influencing earnings to create a more equitable and meritocratic economic landscape.
Only educated people should have the right to vote in elections. What is your view?
The US Presidential election in 2016 shocked everyone. This was because a billionaire businessman who never held political office had been elected to the most powerful position in the world. Furthermore, his win stemmed from ethnic antagonism, strict immigration controls, sexism and hate mongering. Such results lead to the question: should only educated people have the right to vote? There are people who agree that only educated people should vote as they can make rational decisions. On the other hand, there are those who believe that voting should be accessible to all as everyone has their own set of beliefs. Agreeing with the latter view, it can be contended that everyone should have the right to vote regardless of education because equality in political decisions is necessary and helps us in identifying issues that are prevalent in the society.
Voting rights should not be limited to educated people as everyone’s vote counts. Voting has been an important democratic right. In a democracy every single vote is important because it represents the people. Voting right if given only an educated group means that we are ignoring the voices and opinions of thousands who are uneducated. In developed modern democracies people have the right to vote equally because votes are the collective beliefs and opinions of the populace. In countries like the United Kingdom and Singapore, voting rights have been endowed upon all of voting age. Thus, it is important that everyone is given equal rights to vote regardless of education because that is the true essence of democracy.
Those who argue that educated people should be the only ones to vote believe that they are politically literate. However, there is no truth in this argument. Though education is an important tool in giving us wider perspectives on various social subjects. However, just because a person is educated does not mean that he is politically knowledgeable. Even educated people find the subject of politics complicated and lack knowledge on political matters. On the contrary uneducated people are more likely to understand political matters than the educated people. This can be seen in countries like India where uneducated voters play an important role in the elections. The second issue lies with the ambiguousness of the term educated. Would a person from high school be considered educated enough to vote? In schools or colleges no one studies in-depth politics, thus it should not be a factor in allowing someone to vote. Therefore, education does not translate into political knowledge or awareness which means that everyone should have the right to vote in elections.
A true democracy allows all people to vote and brings forth the issues of social importance. Giving voting rights to only one group is a form of inequality. Voting rights given to all regardless of educational qualifications allows representation of all people and not just a selection of people. For example, despite controversial views of Trump on immigration and trade, Americans chose him because he spoke of issues that affected people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. His statements of restoring America to greatness struck a chord with many Americans that eventually led to him winning the elections. However, there are many opposed and still oppose the Trump administration. Democracy is the power due to which various political and social issues can come to the front. If only educated people are allowed to vote only issues affecting them will get highlighted and the uneducated will be completely disenfranchised. This can lead to conflict and tensions within the society and can also lead to prejudice and violence. Thus, it is important that everyone is allowed to vote regardless of educational background.
In conclusion, allowing only one group – the educated people – to vote than the uneducated people is discriminatory and should not be allowed. Favouring the educated over the uneducated goes against the basic tenets of democracy which asks for equality to be practiced. Voting should be allowed for all because it helps highlight the issues of all the groups involved and not just the elite. In a nutshell, allowing everyone to vote is a step in the right direction towards equality.
To what extent are timed examinations a fair means of assessment?
• consider the extent to which timed examinations are fair
• evaluate the effectiveness of other methods of assessment
• make a judgement, based on the consideration of the evidence and argument put forward.
• timed examinations only assess a portion of the taught content of a course
• how time restrictions limit students’ thinking and ability to develop ideas, adding unnecessary pressure
• revising and cramming means material is stored in the short-term memory
• the added value of work-based and continuous assessment showing what people can really do
• there being evidence that the focus and time pressure in examinations often yield a high standard of work
• the examination being a level playing field where everybody is in the same position and therefore it is fair
• the nature of formal examinations minimising the potential for copying or cheating
• examinations often being marked externally which is fairer than internal assessment.
Should the study of literature be made compulsory in schools?
The benefits of studying literature, to individuals, societies and the world as a whole, are recognised by those who believe that reading literature is essential for human flourishing as fundamentally, it is about the search of meaning through the appreciation of narratives. All of mankind tells stories to make sense of the world, imagine alternatives and explore the human condition. Study of Literature, both as an aesthetic art form or humanities study, is evocative and emotive, and through igniting readers’ hearts and minds, is a powerful medium to build empathy and critical insight into what makes us human, themes of justice, fairness and beauty, and what better societies look like. Given its potential to yield such profound benefits, there are grounds to call for its institutionalisation in public schools as a mandatory subject.
The question assumes that the study of literature is essential for a good human life, in the same way the study of languages and mathematics is. Making literature a mandatory study for all school-going children will yield benefits to them as they grow up, in adulthood and by extension, contribute to better outcomes in society.
Consider this: If the study of literature were to involve cultivating an appreciation for understanding the human condition, the skill of perspective- taking and the nurturing of the dispositions of empathy and emotional maturity, it would be then easy to argue that there are legitimate reasons to ground the recommendation. But what if we cannot elicit such understanding among students?
Are moral values absorbed through fairy tales constitute as literature and are they adequate?
Don’t neglect attention to the context specified – ‘in schools’ and expand on the study or appreciation of literature in general, failing to realise that the question invites consideration of when and how countries and their involved ministries decide to made the study of a subject mandatory within public institutions like schools.
Women will never enjoy the same rights as men. Do you agree?
The issue of gender equality has been discussed and debated for centuries. While optimists believe that gender equality is attainable. There are others who have offered cynical views on the issue stating that it is a difficult and unachievable goal. It can be said that women’s rights can be improved in the future but women will never enjoy the same rights as men due to social, political and religious beliefs.
Women and men enjoy equal rights only in progressive societies. Women in countries like the US, UK and Canada have proved that women can contribute to the economy significantly. Women of today are empowered; this is evident from protests and parades where they fight for their rights. Women today even are given the same suffrage rights and the authority to make decisions about their lives. Thus, women do have a chance at attaining equal rights as men, but for now, the most impact is in progressive societies. While feminist movements have empowered women, these movements have not been enough in bringing equal rights for women than men already enjoy. It is evident from the fact that women still do not get paid equal wages and are still under-represented in political fields. In Middle Eastern countries women are still oppressed and do not even enjoy basic rights such as education. This clearly shows that demonstrations and protests are not enough to bring equal rights to women if the governments and businesses are not ready to listen. Therefore, women will never enjoy the same rights due to various factors like society and politics being at play.
In countries with religious influence women still remain as second-class citizens. Religion continues to be a driving force in many people’s lives. Religious texts have often portrayed women in submissive roles. In Christianity, the bible not only prescribes women to be submissive to husbands but even to the church and the community. Similarly, in the Jewish religious texts, hierarchies of gender are deeply entrenched. This is evident in several verses like Exodus 21:10 where god ordains men taking several wives. Though many liberals may find it in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which emphasise on equality, life and personal security. However, in many countries like Saudi Arabia, Iran and Egypt, women’s rights are negligible and women do not enjoy equal rights in the name of traditions. Therefore, religious ideas deeply influence mindsets which can be a hindrance to the dream of attaining equal rights for men and women.
Women do not enjoy equal rights in terms of wages. Despite various campaigns and efforts to close the gap between wages, the gap still exists. The issue of equal pay is even prevalent in developed countries. While Nordic countries have attained equal rights for women and men, the other countries are still lagging. In fact, a report published by The World Economic Forum states that for equal pay to come into picture women will have to wait until the year 2277. In developed countries like Singapore, women still earn less than women. A study by the Ministry of Manpower in Singapore found that women earned 6 per cent less than their male peers in 2018. Though the gender gap exists today, in the future women might receive close to equal if not equal pay. Therefore, equal rights between men and women would be difficult to achieve.
Though inequality is not beneficial to society in any way, equal rights for women is a difficult goal to achieve due to various religious and social factors. In sectors like education and work women still have a long way to go. If one needs to attain equal rights for men and women there is a need to tackle inequality in all forms. Political, religious and cultural leaders have to make a concerted push to ensure equal rights. Without a large impetus, equal rights for women will remain a dream.
‘A university education is becoming increasingly irrelevant to success.’ Discuss.
Success in today’s world greatly hinges on how outstanding a person is in his career. A few decades ago, university graduates were almost guaranteed a good job with a good measure of success. However, that is becoming increasingly untrue for society today. While university students are armed with much knowledge which is supposed to empower them, the increasing speed at which the world is moving is making university education increasingly irrelevant to success. The reality is that university education is becoming too common, too limited and how information learnt is irrelevant.
Our society is creating more new knowledge and technology than it can be learnt, causing university education to be outdated, rendering it irrelevant. The intention of studying at a university for an individual is so that he can be equipped with specialized skills needed to be competitive in the industry, and thereby achieving success. However, the turnover of information and technology in universities is not able to keep up with the world. Take for example the biotechnology industry where new discoveries are being made on a weekly or even daily basis. It is impossible for university education to remain relevant to a student’s success through the education provided.
Some may argue that though universities are not able to keep up, universities conduct projects for students to know more about the latest information, and also that this fast turnover of information does not have much effect, not in the field of science. However, a point to note is that most students, in order to do well, gather information from past students and add on to it so slightly. Hence, can it be said that their information is up-to-date, considering their desire to do well exceeds their desire for learning? Also, with regards to students not in the field of science, these students, they learn mainly from experiences of what happens in the real world. As the world moves faster, more things happen as well, the world is changing fast, and university education cannot keep up with it. Hence, university education is fast becoming increasingly irrelevant due to the fast-changing tides of our world today. University education is no longer a passport to success because it is becoming increasingly common. In the past, university graduates could easily get a job because they were the cream of their crop in their society back then.
However, degree holders are widely available for employers to take a pick from in modern society. This can be seen from graduates who end up as hawkers in the food court, and the number of unemployed graduates out there. It can be argued that university education is still relevant to success even though it is common because as graduates become more common, so do jobs requiring their skills to become available to them compared to old times. However, when one speaks of success, it goes beyond having a job but being distinguished as an individual apart from other people. With university education being so common, our competitors will very well end up as another university graduate, which makes university education irrelevant since graduates do not stand out. Furthermore, university education does not prepare students adequately for the world out there enough for them to wield success in their hands.
The world is shrinking, our economy is no longer confined to our region but going global. University education is unable to equip people enough to deal with people of different cultures and perspectives in the world out there, which is imperative to success. This is not something that can be imparted and remain relevant to university education due to a lack of time. This is evident from how university students in order to adapt have to take up cultural classes in order to survive. Indeed, it is true that learning is a life – long process, it is just right that graduates should equip themselves better by learning more, and does not make university education irrelevant to success. However, if it is so, university education does not play a part in success anymore, because anyone and everyone can take up such classes so as to survive, even without a degree. Hence due to globalization, university education is becoming increasingly lacking in providing social skills with regard to different cultures for students to thrive, hence making university education irrelevant to success.
Also, our world is becoming a world where people thrive because of innovation and abilities apart from those acquired from academic discourse. University education imparts the best that they know how for graduates to survive. However, in today’s world, a degree is no longer a benchmark of capability. In our world today, capabilities need to be proven first before it can be recognized and used for success, and such capabilities do not require a university education. In today’s world, we are seeing an increasing number of people without a university degree being successful because of their innovations and talents. An example would be the proud owners of Creative technology, and Breadtalk, where they did not get much of an education but made it big. The case is clear that university education is irrelevant today.