Part 3. Write an essay of 350 words on the following topic.
Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons
and specific examples to support your answer.
         Given the importance of education, it stands to reason many strive to maximize its
efficiency developing knowledgeable individuals. One particularly contentious opinion
argues that rather than merely providing students with static knowledge, education should
train them to become critical thinkers. Personally, I firmly concur with this standpoint, for
which the reason will be elaborated in this essay.
         To commence with, it cannot be denied that critical thinking and rationale play an
important role both in youngsters’ academic and professional life. Firstly, in classrooms and
schools, it is not those with excellent memory capacity for facts in subjects like physics and
chemistry but critical thinkers them perform well academically. Relying on evidence and
logic, they can actually comprehend complex physical and chemical occurrences and
effectively reason related events, what would not be possible were schoolers to only acquire
superficial knowledge without understanding them. Secondly, regarding an individual’s
afterschool professional life, critical and logical thinkings prove extremely useful in real
working contexts, where unforeseen complications can crop up unexpectedly. Unlike
academics, individuals often lack clear guidance or model formulas, and herein lies the role
of their analytical and problem-solving skills, which would enable them to come up with
innovative solutions.
         Furthermore, given the current pace of development of human society, it is perfectly
reasonable that the training of analytical personalities should be of utmost importance to
school. First of all, critical thinking fosters an adaptive mindset. Adaptability allows people
to keep up with rapidly changing conditions in multiple aspects, particularly the volatile and
unpredictable labour market. For instance, remote working has become increasingly
popular in the recent years. In light of the interconnected working world, if corporations can
effectively implement remote working policies, they can benefit greatly from the
consequential flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Additionally, large businesses in developed
countries like United States and Europe are undergoing a thirst for innovation. Innovative
measures that cut costs, improve efficiency and create competitive edges are much sought-
after, and it is in this creative drought that critical thinkers can strive and thrive, thus
emphasizing the role of educational institutes in producing such analytics.
         In conclusion, I believe that educators are responsible to equip students with
necessary problem-solving and rational skills so as that they can thrive in academic and
professional environments, and ultimately acquiring an adaptive mindset that will enable
them to flourish against the incessant tides of changes of the modern worlds.
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