Amid the rising costs of higher education, one perspective holds that the primary mission of universities is to cultivate skills directly aligned with the job market, ensuring graduates transition smoothly into the workforce; another insists that the core value of university education lies in fostering independent thinking and broad humanistic literacy, rather than merely serving economic demands. Can these two objectives be balanced in university curriculum design? Please articulate your stance and support your argument with examples from specific countries or institutions.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors
Task Response: Address all parts of the task, present a clear position, support ideas with evidence
Coherence and Cohesion: Logical paragraphing, clear progression, appropriate linking devices
Lexical Resource: Wide range of vocabulary, accurate and natural collocations
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Variety of sentence structures, error-free grammar
Overall band score is 0-9, each criterion weighted equally.
Answering Tips
Spend 5 minutes planning your position and main arguments
Use the structure: Introduction - Body 1 - Body 2 - Concession - Conclusion
Develop each body paragraph with: topic sentence + explanation + example + summary
Use a variety of linking words, avoid repetition
Reserve 5 minutes at the end to check grammar and spelling