Art and music are considered some of the fundamental elements of all societies, and some suggest that children should learn them at school. Do you think art and music still have a place in today’s modern world of technology? Should children spend more time learning art and music at school?
Sample Response
In today’s rapidly evolvingadvancing technological world, the demand for scientific, engineering, and technological skillsskills related to science, engineering, and technology has never been higher. Given this shift, I believe that art and music play a relatively minor rolehold a relatively minor place in education and that children should not spend a disproportionate amount of timespend excessive time on these subjects at school.
To begin with, the modern economy is largely driven by technology, and proficiency in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields is crucial for success in today’s world. With industries such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and biotechnology expandingbooming, children need to focus on acquiring technical skills relevant to the workforceskills that will be relevant in the workforce. For instance, learning programming and other technological skillslearning coding, programming, and other technological skills can provide access toopen doors to high-paying, future-oriented careers. By spending too much time on art and music, children risk missing out on the opportunity to develop these critical abilities.
Moreover, as technology continues to evolve, it is essential that students are prepared for the digital future. Subjects like mathematics, physics, and computer science equip children with the analytical and problem-solving skills needed to thrive in the modern world. With the rapid pace of technological innovation, the job market will increasingly demand individuals who can contribute to technological advancements, rather than merely appreciatenot just appreciate traditional art forms. Therefore, by prioritizing art and music over more relevant subjects, schools could be doing students a disservice in preparing them for the challenges of the 21st century.
In conclusion, while art and music offer valuable cultural and emotional benefits, their role in education should be limited. With the growing importance of science and technology, children should spend more time learning subjects that directly contribute to their future success and the advancement of society.
Why this response received Band 8.0
The response maintains a clear, well-organised position that art and music retain limited value but should not displace technology-focused subjects, and it communicates this view with highly controlled language. Its main limitation is that both body paragraphs repeat the economic importance of STEM while the continuing cultural or emotional place of the arts receives little development; the priority is to address that first question directly with a balanced, specific explanation.
IELTS Writing Criteria Scores
Task Response
Both questions receive clear answers and the case for prioritising STEM is developed, but the continuing role of art and music is only briefly acknowledged.
Explain one concrete modern function of art or music before justifying why schools should still limit the time allocated to them.
Coherence and Cohesion
Ideas progress smoothly through clearly focused paragraphs, with cohesive devices and referencing used naturally and effectively.
Differentiate the two body paragraphs more sharply by assigning one to the arts' modern role and the other to school-time priorities.
Lexical Resource
The response uses a broad and precise academic vocabulary for technology, education, employment, and social value.
Introduce more specific vocabulary for the cultural, creative, and emotional functions of art and music to broaden the comparison.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
A wide range of complex sentence structures is used flexibly and accurately, with virtually no grammatical obstruction.
Maintain this control while varying a few repeated conditional and participial patterns for greater stylistic range.
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IELTS Writing Task 2
Art and music are considered some of the fundamental elements of all societies, and some suggest that children should learn them at school. Do you think art and music still have a place in today’s modern world of technology? Should children spend more time learning art and music at school?
Your response
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