Topic 2: Education and schooling About Topic 2
The Education and schooling topic includes teaching methods and resources, approaches to
exams and testing, school management, pupil motivation, behaviour and discipline, school sport,
extra-curricular activities, higher/further education and course funding.
Topic 2 example Task
‘The Internet will never replace traditional course books in schools.’ How far do you agree with this prediction? Explanation of the Task
This is an Opinion>Personal viewpoint type essay (it asks how far you agree with an idea.)
You should introduce the topic and give your opinion in the introduction, then explain why you have
this view. You should briefly consider the opposing view, then restate your opinion in the conclusion.
Notice how this essay type is different from the Opinion>Discussion type which we saw in
Topic 1, which asks you to
discuss both sides of a debate.
Band 9 model essay
There is a huge range of resources available to the modern teacher, and the right selection is
crucial in delivering effective lessons. I agree that there will always be a place for course books in
the school
curriculum , despite the many benefits of the Internet.
Firstly, course books (whether conventional or digital) have been developed by
pedagogical experts and designed to be incorporated into a subject
syllabus, leading to testing procedures such as
formal examinations or
continuous assessment . This means that they are proven to improve
students’
academic achievement , enhancing their potential for progression to
further or
higher education. Furthermore,
the use of modern course books allows pupils to coordinate their studies as
