People hold differing views regarding whether international news should be included in the secondary school curriculum. While some argue that studying international news can enhance students’ understanding of global issues, others, myself included, believe that it may distract them from developing essential academic and personal skills. This essay will discuss both perspectives before presenting my own opinion.
Pupils in the secondary education are already engaged in a wide range of subjects at school and other extracurricular activities after school. It allows them to gain decent knowledge, and at the same time, enjoy their school time to the full. This is mainly because school curricula are carefully designed to develop essential skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and concentration, all of which are crucial for students at this stage of their education. Nevertheless, if youngsters are required to study global current affairs as a separate subject, this might lead to a confusion by the addition of the external information such as global politics, economy or social events. Consequently, their attention will be drawn towards this intriguing news rather than pursuing those which are more beneficial to them. Instead, they should be more involved in after-school programs or do sports to stay physically active.
However, opponents contend that exposure to international news fosters an understanding of social views and helps to keep in touch with current affairs. They believe that by dedicating a certain amount of time to present a few global news stories, teachers can encourage students to analyze different viewpoints independently. Therefore, while this can result in a broad global mindset, youngsters are usually expected to face culture shock during the investigation process. Despite the advantages of learning about global news, students should continue to study those fields of study that is in their favour. For instance, having several hobbies and participating in sports can enhance students’ performance and well-being in turn.
In conclusion, I assert that secondary education is a paramount stage to reinforce students’ performance and academic skills. Thus, studying international news as a separate subject should be avoided at this level of education.