IELTS Speaking Part 2 – Describe a subject that you think should be removed from school education programmes

You should say:

• what the subject is
• which grade it is taught in
• why you think it is unnecessary for children to study it
• and explain what you would replace it with

Sample Answer:

Presently the education system is experiencing some unusual changes and most of the times the students of different levels are to be the sufferers. Research methodology is one of the subjects that should be taught in college level and thus it should be discarded from the school education programmes

The education system in the Philippines has changed comparing the past days. Currently, the students are to carry heavier books than their own weight and sometimes they turn sick for the academic studies and pressures. It happens as the school authorities want to make them smarter and faster to keep pace with the advancing world. Of course, the aims of the school administrations are noble but by the same time, they forget that the kids not should be treated in this way. Adding more subjects and texts on their syllabus will not make them wise enough in this premature age to deal with the world. Attachment of critical subjects and courses often make the life of the students unbearable. Thus they turn reluctant to their studies and consequently their academic results are not up to the mark. In many schools in the Philippines, the authorities have included research on their academic syllabus and this is done with the students of secondary level. But I think this should not be on the list

Usually, the students of seventh to tenth grade are to undergo different sorts of research works in their academic studies and often the research comes with the scores of a full course. Moreover, the school authorities design the syllabus in such a way that there are no chances to skip the research. They school authority wants to make the students familiar with the contemporary trends of research as if they are the potential scientists. But they do not think how the research works have detrimental impacts on the student. Since research is a vast issue, it should be taught and practised at the university level. But the school authorities are a bit unwise as they do not have the complete idea about the research activities. Conducting a research is highly troublesome for a student of the seventh or eighth grade

Research methodologies are a set of complex rules and regulations to be followed during a research work. The students of the lower lever, like who are in their tenth grade, are unable to comprehend the entire facts. I have seen that majority of the students are unable to keep pace with their academic studies when they are assigned the research activities. They are to do a large number of preparatory works for their research. They are to select their topic, make necessary arrangements, prepare questionnaires, sort out the gathered data, analyse the data, prepare lengthy reports and submit them for getting the marks or passing course. But the tasks are heavily time-consuming and the students are unable to perform all the tasks smoothly. As a result, they cannot concentrate on their regular studies. At the end of the year, their overall academic activities are not up to the mark and the grades fall to the largest extent. If they did not have to concern over the research, they would have done far better than the expected results

Secondary level for the students is the time for to know about everything but in a limited manner. They are not supposed to be specialists in this age. Rather there are scopes to be an expert in any specific subjects when they are in the university level or having their post graduations. So, the academic studies in school should be made student friendly. The research methodologies should be replaced with something interesting. The school administrations may replace the subject with some extracurricular activities like watching movies and appearing on quick tests over the movie. Besides, they also could participate in some indoor or outdoor sports competitions. In fact, research works are not something that will attract the students. They perform the tasks as they need to pass the exam and often they adopt unfair means to cross the barriers of school boundaries. When they follow the unfair ways, they actually do not learn anything and this is mere a wastage of time and labour. If they are engaged in the activities they like most, then they would participate in the activities happily and the scores will be of expected level.

(728 words)