Essay 01 - Homework

Some people believe that school children should not be given homework by their
teachers, whereas others argue that homework plays an important role in the
education of children. Discuss both of these views and give your own opinion.

People’s opinions differ as to whether or not school children should be given homework.
While there are some strong arguments against THE SETTING OF HOMEWORK (việc
giao bài tập về nhà), I still believe that it is a necessary aspect of education.

There are several reasons why people might argue that homework IS AN
UNNECESSARY BURDEN ON CHILDREN (là một gánh nặng không cần thiết đối với
trẻ em). Firstly, there is evidence to support the idea that homework does nothing to
IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES (cải thiện kết quả giáo dục). Countries such
as Finland, where school children are not given homework, regularly TOP
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATIONAL LEAGUE TABLES (đứng đầu bảng xếp hạng giáo
dục quốc tế) and outperform nations where setting homework is the norm. Secondly,
many parents would agree that the school day is already long enough, and leaves their
children too tired to do further study when they return home. Finally, it is recognised that
play time is just as beneficial as study time from the perspective of brain development.

In spite of the above arguments, I support the view that homework HAS AN IMPORTANT
ROLE TO PLAY IN (đóng một vai trò quan trọng trong) the schooling of children. The
main benefit of homework is that it ENCOURAGES INDEPENDENT LEARNING AND
PROBLEM SOLVING (khuyến khích học tập và giải quyết vấn đề một cách độc lập),
as children are challenged to work through tasks alone and at their own pace. In doing
so, students must apply the knowledge that they have learnt in the classroom. For
example, by doing mathematics exercises at home, students consolidate their
understanding of the concepts taught by their teacher at school. In my view, it is important
for children to DEVELOP AN INDEPENDENT STUDY HABIT (tạo thói quen tự nghiên
cứu học hỏi) because this prepares them to work alone as adults.

In conclusion, homework certainly has its drawbacks, but I believe that the benefits
outweigh them in the long term.
Essay 02 – Private schools
Families who send their children to private schools should not be required to pay
taxes that support the state education system.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

private schools
Some people believe that parents of children who attend PRIVATE SCHOOLS (học các
trường dân lập) should not need to contribute to state schools through taxes. Personally,
I completely disagree with this view.
For a variety of reasons, it would be wrong to reduce taxes for families who pay for private
education. Firstly, it would be difficult to calculate the correct amount of tax reduction for
these families, and staff would be required to manage this complex process. Secondly,
we all pay a certain amount of tax for public services that we may not use. For example,
most people are fortunate enough not to have to call the police or fire brigade at any time
in their lives, but they would not expect a tax reduction for this. Finally, if WEALTHY
FAMILIES (những gia đình giàu có) were given a tax discount for sending their children
to private schools, we might have a situation where poorer people pay higher taxes than
the rich.
In my opinion, we should all be happy to pay our share of the money that supports
PUBLIC SCHOOLS (trường công lập). It is beneficial for ALL MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
(tất cả người dân) to HAVE A HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION SYSTEM (hệ thống giáo
dục chất lượng cao) with equal opportunities for all young people. This will result in A
WELL-EDUCATED WORKFORCE (một đội ngũ lao động có tri thức), and in turn A
MORE PRODUCTIVE AND PROSPEROUS NATION (một quốc gia năng suất làm
việc cao và thịnh vượng). Parents of children in private schools may also see the
advantages of this in their own lives. For example, a company owner will need WELL
QUALIFIED AND COMPETENT STAFF (cần những nhân viên giỏi và có trình độ),
and A WELL-FUNDED EDUCATION SYSTEM (một hệ thống giáo dục được hỗ trợ
tốt) can provide such employees.
In conclusion, I do not believe that any financial concessions should be made for people
who choose private education.
Essay 03 – Online education
Some universities now offer their courses on the Internet so that people can study
online. Is this a positive or negative development?

It is true that online courses ARE BECOMING A COMMON FEATURE (đang trở thành
một hình thức phổ biến) of university education. Although there are drawbacks of
INTERNET-BASED LEARNING (học trên internet), I would argue that there are far
more benefits.

The main drawback of the trend towards online university courses is that there IS LESS
DIRECT INTERACTION (thiếu tương tác trực tiếp). Students may not have the
opportunity to ENGAGE FACE-TO-FACE WITH THEIR TEACHERS (trao đổi trực tiếp
với giáo viên), and will instead have to RELY ON WRITTEN FORMS OF
COMMUNICATION (phục thuộc vào hình thức thảo luận bằng văn bản). Similarly,
students who study online do not come into direct contact with each other, and this could
have a negative impact on peer support, discussion and exchange of ideas. For example,
whereas STUDENTS ON TRADITIONAL COURSES (học sinh của các khóa học
truyền thống) can attend seminars and even discuss their subjects over coffee after
lessons, online learners ARE RESTRICTED TO (bị bó buộc vào) chatting through
WEBSITE FORUM AREAS (diễn đàn trực tuyến). These learners may also LACK THE
MOTIVATION AND ELEMENT OF COMPETITION (thiếu động lực và yếu tố cạnh
tranh) that FACE-TO-FACE GROUP WORK (các nhóm học trực tiếp) brings.

Despite the negatives mentioned above, I believe that ONLINE UNIVERSITY COURSES
(khóa học đại học trực tuyến) are a positive development for various reasons. Firstly,
they allow learners to STUDY IN A FLEXIBLE WAY (học một cách linh hoạt), meaning
that they can work whenever and wherever is convenient, and they can COVER THE
MATERIAL AT THEIR OWN PACE (học được những tài liệu đó theo nhịp độ của
họ). Secondly, the cost of a university education can be greatly reduced, while
REVENUES FOR (lợi nhuận của) institutions may increase as more students can be
taught. Finally, online learning offers open access to anybody who is willing to study,
REGARDLESS OF AGE, LOCATION, ABILITY AND BACKGROUND (bất kể tuổi tác,
nơi ở, khả năng và trình độ). For example, my uncle, who is 65 years old, has recently
enrolled on an online MBA course in a different country, which would have been
impossible in the days before Internet-based education.

In conclusion, while I recognise the possible disadvantages of online learning, I consider