Nowadays education has become the centre of much debates, given that it has a great impact on students’ future. The population is torn between two different points of view: some believe that educational institutions should focus more on manual skills while others state the importance of theoretical subjects. In this essay I will explain why I agree with the first perspective by giving some examples.
Firstly, I strongly believe that students’ practical knowledge positively affects companies’ economic growth. Having a more manual education background leads to the presence of more experienced students approaching the work field. As a result, hiring companies would have less expenses in training courses since vocational students already had hands on experience during their educational paths. For instance, in the area where I live there are many vocational schools and local companies directly resort to them to find new workers resulting in a reduction of money invested in their training.
Furthermore, a more stress on manual skills development than on academic education would reduce competitiveness in the work environment. The main reason lies in the fact that many students are enrolled in university and they end up concurring for the same job positions, leading to an increasing competition among them. By introducing more professional schools, students will tend less to attend university courses preferring instead a practical education because they realize it is easier to get a job. In fact, for this exact reason in the last few years Italian universities have experienced a significant decrease in the amount of enrolled students.
In conclusion, although academic education has its advantages such as encouraging people to develop critical thinking, I reiterate my position on the importance of learning practical skills in schools since students and businesses would benefit from it.