TOPIC: Educational institutions have a responsibility to dissuade students from pursuing fields of study in which they are unlikely to succeed.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to address the most compelling reasons or examples that could be used to challenge your position.
Below, I am sharing my writing on the topic. It is my second practice with the Analytical Writing section. (English is not my first language.)
The responsibilities and boundaries of educators towards their students has been constantly discussed in politics, law, and philosophy as much as in education. It is widely believed that an educational institutions’ main responsibility is to teach students subjects that help them prepare to have a successful life after school. History teaches them George Washington’s life, goals, and success to give students a better understanding of how to be a successful politician. Students are taught Einstein’s difficult life along with his breakthroughs because they should know that success does not happen over night but takes passion, hard work, and relentless practice. Having said that, educators also test their students’ school success through their test taking abilities. In test taking, to have critical thinking of how to become a successful politician or the importance of not giving up does not help students score well. What helps them score is the date of the first battle George Washington fought or what “m” stands for in the equation that Einstein had his breakthrough with (E=mc2).
What is taught in school and what qualifications are needed to be successful in real life vastly differ. Of course, real life tests knowledge that is taught in school. However, it is often some other skills that has helped someone like Bill Gates stand out among other inventors. We don’t know about what his grades were in elementary school, but we know that he is a very persuasive speaker. Maybe there were times in his life when he had sto solve equations by himself, but now, instead, he has many employees who contribute their knowledge to his projects. In this time of his life, the skills he performs are not widely taught in school. Being able to manage thousands of employees is one of them or knowing who to trust as your advisor is another one.
Educators should not try to evaluate their 10 year-old students’ future success through the grades they get. In contrast, educators should acknowledge and teach their students that their grades don’t determine their lifetime success. Their education is to inspire them about others’ success and give them an understanding of how to get there. A 10-year old student should know that if he is not good at math this does not mean that he should not aim to become an engineer.
Educators have a responsibility to guide students in their post-school life. It is not just them, but also parents or even employees who tend to evaluate a person’s potential to succeed through his transcript. However, success requires further skills than just being able to memorize equations or the history of others’ breakthroughs.
