GT Writing Task 2 / Essay Sample # 272
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people say that physical education classes are an important part of a child’s education. Others believe that it is more important to focus on academics during school time.
Discuss both these views, and give your opinion.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
It is argued by many that physical education is vital for children and should be introduced in the academic curriculum, yet others deem that children should put emphasis on academic activities during school time. This essay expounds on both viewpoints before coming up with a logical opinion.
To commence with, introducing physical education into the academic curriculum might be an effective approach not only to augment children’s physical activity participation levels but also to improve academic outcomes. On the one hand, physical inactivity causes a range of non-communicable diseases like obesity, diabetes, and cancers. Physical activity, on the other hand, helps to maintain fitness, in turn, increases children’s school engagement and thus improving their cognitive and academic performance. A case in point is Australia. The country enhances the physical activity and literacy levels of children in elementary school by integrating physical education into the academic curriculum.
In contrast, others think that children should devote school time to their studies. According to them, physical literacy can be taught at home, whereas school time needs to be dedicated to acquiring academic knowledge. This is because if physical education is integrated with the curriculum, then one or two major subjects would be compromised accordingly. This, in turn, will hamper overall academic activities.
I believe that schools are not an ideal place for physical education. The reason is that once gymnasiums were rare in a community, but today, every community has a gymnasium for physical education. Therefore, there is no ground for adding physical education to the primary school curriculum.
It seems reasonable to conclude that physical education should not be included in the primary school curriculum because it could handicap the academic process while kills valuable time for learning important lessons.