Urgent help needed! Could someone please grade my issue essay?

[ruaalabweh]

I am taking the GRE in a week and just found out about this website. I would really appreciate it if someone could grade my issue essay. Thank you very much in advance!

 

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Issue Task : A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curriculum until they enter college. Write a response in which you explain the extent to which you agree or disagree with the recommendation and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, describe specific circumstances in which adopting the recommendation would or would not be advantageous and explain how these examples shape your position.

In order to set a fair and uniform educational system in a state, a nation should reqire all of its students to study the same national curriculum. However, this curriculum does not necessarily have to be standardized up till the last years of high school and should allow for adjustments and enhancements when necessary.

 

Setting standard national curriculum would ensure that there is less of a gap in the quality or level of academia given to students at public and private schools. Leaving the curriculum in the hands of each school would make discrepancies much higher and would create a social imbalance in the education of children from affluent families who can afford high level private instituations and less financially privileged children who attend less expensive schools. Furthermore, it makes it easier to compare student performance, IQs, and exam grades if all have been following the same curriculum. Looking even further into the future, a single curriculum would make college accpetance processes easier and more fair, as all applicants are compared based on the same eduacational background, discounting the inevitable difference in teacher qualification, school environment, and equipment.

However, a single curriculum also has its downside. Setting the curriculum "in stone" risks creating an uber rigid system which does not allow for freedom of expression, experimentation, and innovation on behalf of both the teachers and the students. This in turn limits the potential to learn from current events and adapt to classroom situations or needed adjustments based on unplanned or unexpected events throughout the year. Moreover, a curriculum set by the nation, which usually implies the government, also riks having a system which is molded by a hidden political agenda, which again, may limit free thinking, analytical skills, and cognitive abilities.

In order to have an effective educational system, it should be mandated that a national curriculum be followed as a guide and simultaneously allow for flexibility in assigning additional projects, assignments, or topics of discussion. Furthermore, a uniform curriculum should not necessarily be followed up until the students enter college. It may be more sensible to have a national curriculum from elementary to middle school, but have a less rigid academic system in high school once the students have a reached an age which allows for and requires more open teaching methods and autonomous research. Not only should the curriculum be more flexible, but it should also be drafted and written in cooperation between governmental entities, representatives from private schools and public schools, professionals with practical experience, and ideally even with the input of the students themselves.

 

Setting a national curriculum to be followed by all schools in a certain country has its pros and cons. While it ensures fair and equal education to students of all socioeconomic levels, it also may be too rigid and prevent students from reaching their full creative potential. Finding a balance between a well-rounded curriculum which leaves room for tweaking creates a practical and effective academic system that benefits all of the students, teachers, and nation.