In an era of soaring higher education costs, one perspective holds that the primary responsibility of universities should be to cultivate professionally competitive graduates who meet the immediate demands of the labor market. Another stance insists that the core value of university education lies in shaping citizens with critical thinking and a broad humanistic vision, rather than serving merely as vocational training grounds.
Please discuss the tension between these two educational objectives, clarify which side you support, and explain your reasoning. Support your argument with specific examples from particular countries or individuals.
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