Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Sample Response
Teaching children how to become responsible members of society is an essential aspect of their developmenta crucial part of their development. While some argue that parents should beartake primary responsibility for this, others believe that schools play a more significant role. This essay will discuss both perspectives. However, I firmly believe that schools provide the most effective setting for childrenI firmly believe that schools are the most effective place for children to learn societal values because they provide a structured learning environment and offer exposure to diverse social interactions.
On the one hand, some people believe that parents should be responsible for teaching their children social valuesteaching social values to their children. Since parents spend the most time with their children, they have the opportunity to instil moral values and discipline in them from an early age. Moreover, children often imitate the behaviours of their parents, making parental guidance crucial toin shaping their ethical and social beliefs. For example, a child who grows up in a household in which honesty and kindnessa household where honesty and kindness are emphasized is more likely to develop a strong moral character.
On the other hand, schools are structured institutions designed to educate children, not only academically but also socially. Schools expose students to diverse social settings in which they interactdiverse social settings where they interact with peers from different backgrounds, allowing them to develop essential social skills such as cooperation, respect, and tolerance. Additionally, subjects such as civic education and ethicssubjects like civic education and ethics formally teach children about societal norms, legal responsibilities, and good citizenship. For instance, many schools incorporate community service projects, where students participate in activities that promote social responsibility, such as volunteering at shelters or organizing environmental clean-up drives. Since not all parents have the time, knowledge, or teaching skills required to provide comprehensive social education, schools with the advantages of formal teaching settings and structured education facilities, are better suited for this responsibility.
In conclusion, while parents undoubtedly play an important role in shaping their children's character, schools provide the most effective setting for teachingschools are the most effective place to teach social responsibility. The structured curriculum, diverse interactions, and dedicated programs in schools ensure that children develop the necessary values and skills to become responsible members of society.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response’s strongest feature is its thorough, well-organised treatment of both perspectives, with a clear preference for schools supported by relevant examples. Its main limitation is that the case for schools is more extensively developed than the parental view, making the comparison slightly uneven. To improve further, extend the parental perspective or more explicitly compare the unique contribution of each setting before confirming why schools should take primary responsibility.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both views are directly addressed, the opinion is clear throughout, and the main ideas are well developed with relevant explanations and examples.
Sharpen the evaluation by comparing which social values parents and schools are uniquely equipped to teach rather than only listing each setting’s strengths.
Coherence and Cohesion
Paragraphing is purposeful, ideas progress logically, and cohesive devices are varied and generally unobtrusive.
Break up the final long sentence of the third paragraph so the contrast between parental limitations and school advantages remains immediately clear.
Lexical Resource
A broad and precise vocabulary range supports nuanced discussion of moral values, social interaction, citizenship, and educational settings.
Reduce minor repetition of “structured” and “social” by selecting context-specific alternatives where they add precision.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex structures is used flexibly and accurately, with only rare punctuation or sentence-control lapses.
Remove the unnecessary comma separating the subject from the verb in the sentence beginning “Since not all parents” and streamline that clause.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Your response
Write the task yourself, then compare your choices with the annotated response.