Task 2 · · 18 samples

There is a lot of pressure on young people today to succeed academically. As a result, some people believe that non-academic subjects, such as physical education and cookery, should be removed from the school syllabus so that children can concentrate on academic work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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Plan your answer

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Ideas to explore

  • Physical education can support students’ health and give them a way to manage the stress of academic demands.
  • Cookery teaches practical independence and helps students make informed choices about food.
  • Limited school time supports careful curriculum planning, but does not necessarily justify removing non-academic subjects altogether.

Suggested structure

  1. Introduce the pressure to succeed academically and state clearly whether you agree with removing non-academic subjects.
  2. Explain one benefit of physical education and connect it to students’ wellbeing or development.
  3. Explain one practical benefit of cookery and why it matters beyond the classroom.
  4. Acknowledge limited teaching time and propose balancing subjects instead of eliminating them.
  5. Restate your position and briefly summarise why a broad curriculum is valuable.
Useful vocabulary & examples
a balanced curriculum
A programme of study that includes different kinds of subjects rather than focusing on only one area.

A balanced curriculum can give students time to develop academic knowledge and practical skills.

manage academic stress
Deal with pressure arising from schoolwork or academic expectations.

Physical activity may help young people manage academic stress.

practical skills
Useful abilities that can be applied to everyday tasks and responsibilities.

Cookery lessons help pupils develop practical skills they can use at home.

allocate teaching time
Decide how available classroom time is divided among subjects or activities.

Schools can allocate teaching time carefully without removing non-academic subjects.

Sample answers

AI-completed learning example

300 words · Illustrative target band

Nowadays, society is sharply pushing young people to succeed academically. Consequently, many individuals think that some non-academic subjects should be removed from school programs in order to direct young people toward academic work. In my view, this perspective is not supported by compelling arguments, and I firmly believe that school’s function should cover as many aspects of children's development as possible, …

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AI-completed learning example

282 words · Illustrative target band

It is widely said that there is burden of being successful for youngsters, giving rise to the notion that students should not spend their school time attending non-academic subjects such as physical education and cookery due to the need for concentration on academic. In my opinion, although I acknowledge a benefit of taking on the extra time for academic study, I disagree with removing these subjects from the school …

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AI-completed learning example

330 words · Illustrative target band

Nowadays, pupils have to deal with anxiety and stress due to the significant importance of degrees. Indeed, parents and families press their children to earn competitive marks, to get the most prestigious universities. Consequently, this situation creates debate concerning educational programs due to the fact that pupils should be taught only about fundamental knowledge such as mathematics and languages. I disagree t…

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