IELTS Essay Task 2: Should Schools Teach Life Skills or Subjects?

Education plays a crucial role in shaping a student’s future, but should schools focus more on life skills like financial literacy and communication, or continue prioritizing traditional subjects like math and history? This IELTS Essay Task 2 topic explores whether practical skills should take precedence over academic knowledge. Share your opinion in the comments below!

IELTS Essay Topic on Should Schools Teach Life Skills or subjects?

Some people believe that schools should focus more on teaching practical skills, such as financial literacy and communication, rather than traditional subjects like history and literature.

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IELTS Essay on Should Schools Teach Life Skills or Subjects?

Today, children grow up in a modern world. As a result, their interests and needs are different from previous generations. This article will discuss on should schools teach life skills or subjects.

Firstly, In today’s advanced world, children are unconsciously on the path of growing up with technology. Every person needs to learn experiences to adapt with technology. Besides, everyone needs practical knowledge. For instance, learning public speaking is very valuable to clearly express ideas and handling disagreements effectively. Moreover, some skills like time management, problem solving and emotional intelligence are essential for success in today’s life.

Secondly, students learn academic subjects for various reasons, such as social and cultural awareness, career preparation, and the development of analytical and critical thinking skills. Subjects help students understand the world, from science and math to history and literature. Learning subjects like history, geography, and literature broadens students’ understanding of different cultures and societies. Likewise, mathematics enhances logical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and financial literacy, while literature improves communication, comprehension, and cultural awareness.

In my opinion, a well-rounded education helps students adapt to new challenges and continue learning throughout life. Moreover, education fosters curiosity, creativity, and personal development. Therefore, students need to learn both life skills and academic subjects to achieve cognitive and personal growth.

Assessment and Scoring Criteria

1. Content and Ideas (5/7)

The essay presents relevant ideas on both sides of the argument, discussing the importance of both practical skills and traditional subjects. However, the argument is not fully developed. While examples like public speaking, time management, and emotional intelligence are mentioned, they are not explained in depth. Similarly, the discussion on academic subjects is broad but lacks a strong connection to the debate on prioritization.

To improve, the essay should:

• Clearly state whether practical skills should be emphasized more than traditional subjects (since that is the essay question).
• Provide specific examples and reasoning to strengthen the argument.
• Address counterarguments more explicitly.

2. Organization and Coherence (5/7)

The structure is somewhat clear, with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. However:

• The introduction is too vague. The sentence “This article will discuss on should schools teach life skills or subjects.” is grammatically incorrect and lacks clarity. A stronger thesis statement is needed.
• The body paragraphs discuss both practical skills and academic subjects, but there is no clear contrast or logical connection between them.
• The conclusion summarizes the discussion well but does not directly answer the essay prompt.

To improve:

• The introduction should clearly state the essay’s position.
• Transition words (e.g., “On the other hand,” “However,” “Despite this”) should be used to strengthen coherence between ideas.
• Each paragraph should have a clear topic sentence and more focused argument development.

3. Language and Grammar (4.5/7)

The essay contains several grammatical errors and awkward phrasing:

• “This article will discuss on should schools teach life skills or subjects.” → Incorrect use of “discuss on” and unclear sentence structure.
• “Firstly, In today’s advanced world, children are unconsciously on the path of growing up with technology.” → Unnatural phrasing.
• “Everyone needs practical knowledge.” → This sentence is too general and needs more specificity.
• “Besides, everyone needs practical knowledge.” → The word “Besides” is misused.
• “Learning subjects like history, geography, and literature broadens students’ understanding of different cultures and societies.” → The argument is relevant, but the connection to the topic (whether these should be prioritized over practical skills) is unclear.

To improve:

• Revise grammar and sentence structure for clarity.
• Use formal academic language (e.g., avoid vague terms like “today’s advanced world”).
• Improve word choice and sentence flow.

4. Score: 5/7

This essay is a decent attempt but needs better argument development, organization, and grammatical accuracy. To score higher (6-7), the writer should:

• Develop arguments more deeply with examples.
• Improve coherence with clearer contrasts.
• Refine language use for better readability and accuracy.