There is an opinion that the school curriculum should provide students with practical knowledge, while others believe that all schools should build a strong academic foundation for students. I largely support the latter view because of potential benefits for people in modern society, ranging from the development of critical thinking skills to a deeper understanding of a subject.
One of the most important reasons why the school curriculum should be more focused on academic subjects is the development of critical thinking skills. Nowadays, many educational centers try to build a strong academic foundation for their students all over the world; this can be explained by the fact that numerous countries have national exams whose difficulty levels vary greatly. However, people should take into account that certain exams provide them with special privileges in the future. For instance, in the People’s Republic of China, many individuals from remote areas consider their national exam, Gaokao, as the only ticket to a happy life. After they pass the exam, the results can determine whether a person will continue to live below the poverty line or whether the government will provide them with basic needs. However, this principle does not apply to all countries, though the logic is the same everywhere.
Another crucial reason for the importance of an academic foundation is a deeper understanding of a subject in the future. Numerous countries all over the world try to do their best to attract people from different countries to study in their universities to lay the groundwork for higher education. This can be attributed to the fact that every state tries to raise new specialized employees to foster international cooperation in the science sector.
On the other hand, educational institutions should also prepare students for adult life so that they will be ready to cope with real-life situations and gain hands-on experience. For example, many European countries try to equip their residents to enter the workforce after graduation, where they will likely meet the demands of modern labor markets. From my perspective, I consider this approach the most effective way to strike a balance between practical and academic education.
In conclusion, the school curriculum should provide students with a solid knowledge base to meet the demands of modern labor markets after graduation. However, I largely support the idea that all educational institutions should focus more on the development of a deeper understanding of subjects to prepare students to apply their knowledge in real-world contexts.