Education institutions around the world have been trying to find their best mix between academic and practical courses. Given that academic subjects have been the primary focus for a good number of years, practical ones are gaining more attention recently.
There are several reasons why academic subjects are important to students. Firstly, academic courses equip all students with fundamental knowledge, which supports them in clearly understanding all aspects and the nature of the subject. Therefore, these subjects build for students a common knowledge foundation about all aspects of the world. For instance, by learning history, people can know how national heroes struggled and sacrificed to build the country today and how the world is now. Secondly, it can be argued that learning these subjects, such as history, physics, and chemistry, will provide more opportunities to find a good job or even a well-paid job. To be more specific, through academic courses, students will gain a degree after graduation, which is evidence that ensures they have the knowledge and skills needed to meet job requirements. Especially nowadays, people with qualifications and expertise in a specific field will have higher job opportunities.
On the other hand, pursuing practical subjects is of equal importance for a variety of reasons. The first reason is that students are equipped with soft skills to work and earn a living in a short period, which not only helps students explore their own potential abilities but also gives them real-life experience. For example, if a student finds that she is really interested in making cakes, she will choose a cooking course for her further study and become a pastry cook. Then she can open her own bakery or work as a baker for another bakery. Another reason is that by attending short-term vocational courses, students can become employees working as manual workers, in which companies tend to place more emphasis on employing workers who have solid practical skills.
In conclusion, both academic and practical subjects are equally important and should be taught in schools. However, depending on each student’s situations and conditions, they can consider which course is most suitable for them.