How to write an IELTS discussion essay:
- Plan your answer.
- State what your essay will discuss in your introduction.
- List the advantages and disadvantages in the next two paragraphs.
- Summarise both in your conclusion, and offer an opinion.
- Read this sample essay for an example.
Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
It is often argued that school children should go to single sex schools, while other would say that males and females get the most out of integrated schools. This essay will argue that despite there being some social benefits to females and males going to the same school, the academic advantages of educating them separately make it more worthwhile.
Many feel that mixing both sexes at school helps to develop social skills and makes people less awkward around the opposite sex later in life. This is especially true for males, who often find it difficult to approach and talk to women socially if they don’t get used to it first in the classroom. For example, the Sunday Times recently reported that men who did not have regular social contact with girls when they were growing up are 68% more likely to suffer from anxiety when in the company of females.
Despite the argument above, it is difficult to argue with the fact that single-sex schools consistently top examination league tables. In nearly every area of the United Kingdom, the top schools only allow boys or girls to attend and this may lead to higher grades because students can focus exclusively on their studies. Personally, I went to a school for both boys and girls and found that I had to deal with many more distractions compared to friends who attended the local boys-only college.
In conclusion, integrating the sexes can prevent social awkwardness later in life and make pupils more sociable in the company of other genders, but a school’s primary purpose is to educate and those with just one sex or the other outperform those that allow both.
Want more sample essays? Check out our IELTS Task 2 page.
