TEMPLATE 1:

As people rely more and more on technology to

solve problems, the ability of humans to think for
themselves will surely deteriorate
Discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree
with the statement and explain your reasoning for
the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in
which the statement might or might not hold true
and explain how these considerations shape your
position.
NOTE: All responses are reproduced exactly as
written, including errors, misspellings, etc., if any.
The statement linking technology negatively with
free thinking plays on recent human experience over
the past century. Surely there has been no time in
history where the lived lives of people have changed
more dramatically. A quick reflection on a typical day
reveals how technology has revolutionized the world.
Most people commute to work in an automobile that
runs on an internal combustion engine. During the
workday, chances are high that the employee will interact with a computer that processes information on
silicon bridges that are .09 microns wide. Upon leaving home, family members will be reached through
wireless networks that utilize satellites orbiting the
earth. Each of these common occurrences could have
been inconceivable at the turn of the 19th century.
The statement attempts to bridge these dramatic
changes to a reduction in the ability for humans
to think for themselves. The assumption is that an
increased reliance on technology negates the need for
people to think creatively to solve previous quandaries. Looking back at the introduction, one could
argue that without a car, computer, or mobile phone,
the hypothetical worker would need to find alternate
methods of transport, information processing and
communication. Technology short circuits this thinking by making the problems obsolete.
However, this reliance on technology does not
necessarily preclude the creativity that marks the human species. The prior examples reveal that
technology allows for convenience. The car, computer and
phone all release additional time for people to live
more effi ciently. This effi ciency does not preclude
the need for humans to think for themselves. In
fact, technology frees humanity to not only tackle
new problems, but may itself create new issues that
did not exist without technology. For example, the
proliferation of automobiles has introduced a need
for fuel conservation on a global scale. With increasing energy demands from emerging markets, global
warming becomes a concern inconceivable to the
horse-and-buggy generation. Likewise dependence on
oil has created nation-states that are not dependent
on taxation, allowing ruling parties to oppress minority groups such as women. Solutions to these
complex problems require the unfettered imaginations of
maverick scientists and politicians.
In contrast to the statement, we can even see how
technology frees the human imagination. Consider
how the digital revolution and the advent of the internet has allowed for an unprecedented exchange of
ideas. WebMD, a popular internet portal for medical
information, permits patients to self research symptoms for a more informed doctor visit. This exercise
opens pathways of thinking that were previously
closed off to the medical layman. With increased
interdisciplinary interactions, inspiration can arrive
from the most surprising corners. Jeffrey Sachs, one
of the architects of the UN Millenium Development Goals, based his ideas on emergency care triage
techniques. The unlikely marriage of economics and
medicine has healed tense, hyperinflation environments from South America to Eastern Europe.
This last example provides the most hope in how
technology actually provides hope to the future of
humanity. By increasing our reliance on technology, impossible goals can now be achieved. Consider
how the late 20th century witnessed the complete
elimination of smallpox. This disease had ravaged the
human race since prehistorical days, and yet with the
technology of vaccines, free thinking humans dared
to imagine a world free of smallpox. Using technology, battle plans were drawn out, and smallpox was
systematically targeted and eradicated.
Technology will always mark the human experience, from the discovery of fire to the implementation of
nanotechnology. Given the history of the
human race, there will be no limit to the number of
problems, both new and old, for us to tackle. There
is no need to retreat to a Luddite attitude to new
things, but rather embrace a hopeful posture to the
possibilities that technology provides for new avenues
of human imagination.

TEMPLATE 2:

The best way for a society to prepare its young

people for leadership in government, industry, or
other fi elds is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent
to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In
developing and supporting your position, be sure
to address the most compelling reasons or examples that could be used to challenge your position.
NOTE: All responses are reproduced exactly as
written, including errors, misspellings, etc., if any.
Essay Response Score 6
Whenever people argue that history is a worthless
subject or that there is nothing to be gained by just
memorizing a bunch of stupid names and dates, I
simply hold my tongue and smile to myself. What Im
thinking is that, as cliche as it sounds, you do learn
a great deal from history (and woe to those who fail
to learn those lessons). It is remarkable to think of
the number of circumstances and situations in which
even the most rudimentary knowledge of history will
turn out to be invaluable. Take, for example, the issue
at hand here. Is it better for society to instill in future
leaders a sense of competition or cooperation? Those
who have not examined leaders throughout time and
across a number of fields might not have the ability
to provide a thorough and convincing answer to this
question, in spite of the fact that it is crucial to the
future functioning of our society. Looking closely at
the question of leadership and how it has worked in
the past, I would have to agree that the best way to
prepare young people for leadership roles is to instill
in them a sense of cooperation.
Let us look fi rst at those leaders who have
defi ned themselves based on their competitiveness.
Although at fi rst glance it may appear that a leader
must have a competitive edge in order to gain and
then maintain a leadership position, I will make two
points on this subject. First, the desire to compete
is an inherent part of human nature; that is, it is
not something that needs to be instilled in young
people. Is there anyone who does not compete in
some way or another every single day? You try to
do better than others in your school work or at the
offi ce, or you just try to do better than yourself in
some way, to push yourself. When societies instill
competitiveness in their leaders, it only leads to
trouble. The most blatant example in this case is
Adolf Hitler, who took competition to the very
extreme, trying to prove that his race and his country
were superior to all. We do not, however, need to
look that far to find less extreme examples (i.e.,
Hitler is not the extreme example that disproves the
rule). The recent economic meltdown was caused
in no large part by the leaders of American banks
and financial institutions who were obsessed with
competing for the almighty dollar. Tiger Woods, the
ultimate competitor in recent golfing history and in
many ways a leader who brought the sport of golf
to an entirely new level, destroyed his personal life
(and perhaps his career still yet to be determined)
by his overreaching sense that he could accomplish
anything, whether winning majors or sleeping
with as many women as possible. His history of
competitiveness is well documented; his father
pushed him froma very early age to be the ultimate
competitor. It served him well in some respects, but
it also proved to be detrimental and ultimately quite
destructive.
Leaders who value cooperation, on the other
ahnd, have historically been less prone to these
overreaching, destructive tendencies. A good case in
point would be Abraham Lincoln. Now, I am sure at
this point you are thinking that Lincoln, who served
as President during the Civil War and who refused
to compromise with the South or allow secession,
could not possibly be my model of cooperation!
Think, however, of the way Lincoln structured his
Cabinet. He did not want a group of yes men who
would agree with every word he said, but instead
he picked people who were more likely to disagree
with his ideas. And he respected their input, which
allowed him to keep the government together in the
North during a very tumultuous period (to say the
least). My point in choosing the Lincoln example
is that competitiveness and conflict may play better
to the masses and be more likely to be recorded in
the history books, but it was his cooperative nature
that allowed him to govern effectively. Imagine if
the CEO of a large company were never able to
compromise and insisted that every single thing be
done in exactly her way. Very quickly she would
lose the very people that a company needs in order
to survive, people with new ideas, people ready to
make great advances. Without the ability to work
constructively with those who have conflicting ideas,
a leader will never be able to strike deals, reach
consensus, or keep an enterprise on track. Even if you
are the biggest fish in the pond, it is difficult to force
your will on others forever; eventually a bigger fish
comes along (or the smaller fish team up against you!).
In the end, it seems most critical for society to
instill in young people a sense of cooperation. In
part this is true because we seem to come by our
competitive side more naturally, but cooperation
is more often something we struggle to learn (just
think of kids on the playground). And although
competitive victory is more showy, more often than
not the real details of leadership come down to the
ability to work with other people, to compromise
and cooperate. Getting to be President of the United
States or the managing director of a corporation
might require you to win some battles, but once you
are there you will need diplomacy and people-skills.
Those can be difficult to learn, but if you do not have
them, you are likely to be a short-lived leader.
The best way for a society to prepare its young
people for leadership in government, industry, or
other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition

A famous saying has it that Two good heads are better than one. Another wise saying has it that no
man is an island. Better results are achieved when people work together as a group. The individual
members of a group contribute their unique eexprtise and share their opinions towards achieving a desired
goal.

When a sense of cooperation is instilled in young people, they tend to see each other as parts of a bigger
body and they try to seek that unique role in any individual. For example in a team whose aim is to design
an automobile, there may be the brilliant members who will take on the calculation part, the software-
inclined software members who will handle the drafting of the parts, the physically fit members who will
take care of the physical construction and the financially buoyant members who will support financially.

The execution of a project by a group of an appropriate number of people leads to a shared cost in terms
of finance and distributed cost of failure. Nowadays, degree projects are assigned to students in groups
and this has given commendable results. Some individuals may argue that assigning a project to a group
of individuals may lead to laxity on the part of some of the members of the group. But such argument is
put off when we are cautious of the population of a group and when we distribute the tasks.

In a team, the weakness of member A might be the strength of member B, and so a close to 100%
efficiency is attainable. Since the gap created by member A is filled by member B, the group lacks
nothing. This can be extrapolated to the society at large where the doctors treat patients with machines
designed by the engineers and the security officers helps to protect the doctors and the engineers from
being victims of crime, and it goes on and on.

When people work together as a team, the work is completed within a shorter period of time through a
division labor. Again, during this division of labor, each member is assigned a task for which he is most
capable of, since he will complete such task within a limited time and with less energy.

Finally, it suffice to say that the best way for a society to prepare its young
people for leadership in government, industry, or
other fields is by instilling in them a sense of cooperation, not competition. Since a person who has
knowledge of the advantages of cooperation will encourage his followers to indulge in cooperation, so as
to explore its benefits which includes carrying each other along, shared cost, efficiency and effectiveness.
one should not eexpct respect for disregarding the opinion of others

A famous saying has it that respect is reciprocal, hence, can one receive what he was not able to give?
Hence, one does not merit respect when he fails to acknowledge the opinion of others. Truly, if one wqnts
some respect, he will have to earn it.

In most cases, a leader is accorded respect by his subordinates when he does not put off their opinions.
Hence, he is a good leader who does not make decisions autocratically but through consensus. If Abraham
Lincoln had disregarded the opinion of his cabinet, he may not have achieved the success for which he
remembered for. OR

Consider the paradign of Abraham Lincoln, had he shunned the opinions of his subordinates, the
emancipation bill may not have been passed till date. Today, even though he has passed away, we still
accord him so much respect for d result of his actions which was brought about by his allegiance to other
peoples opinion.

One may argue that a child still accords his parents respect even though the parents might have
disregarded his opinion, but is this really true? Such respect may not be genuine. Genuine respect for
someone comes when that person has considered your own opinion before taking actions. OR

One may argue that a father will still expct respect from his child even after heve disregarded the childs
opinion. But even though he might receive some respect from the child, the respect might not come from
within the childs heart; thus the father ends up getting superficial respect as opposed to true respect.
However, another father will receive true respect from his child whose opinions he has paid attention to.

Though an authoritarian person may subdue the people under him and at the same time subject them to
accord him respect. The respect he will get will only last for the period of time during which he wields dt
authority. Hence, one can only expct to get a lasting respect if he doesnot enforce it.

In conclusion, it is clear from the above examples that one should only eexpct respect when he/she has
regarded the opinions of others. D examples of Abraham Lincoln; a father and his child; and an
authoritarian person provides evidence to back d assertion.

No one knows it all. This clause is evident in the mistakes made by people who try to take some risks
without seeking the counsel of authorities.
Only when every point of view is taken into consideration should ppl take action in d world

Is it possible to obtain every point of view? At 1st glance, d statement dt action should only b taken
when all points of view has been considered may seem plausible but on a closer look, one would agree dt
d statement is unreliable bcos it is almost impossible to obtain all points of view not to talk of considering
dem. Hence, I believe dt d opposite suffice to b true.

One may argue dt in a law court, d opinions of all d witnesses involved in a case is considered bfor
judgement is taken on a suspect. But in some cases, some of d witnesses may be unavailable or may fail
to respond to d subpoena; some of other witnesses may not disclose all their know. Therefore it is almost
impossible to access all useful opinions.

Consider a case where there is a strict restriction on d amount of time required for an action to be taken. It
is very obvious dt in such a case, not all points of view can b considered. Even if all opinions are
considered there is a high tendency dt they will be considered cursorily. Also, the consideration of lots of
opinion may lead to a huge waste of time/delay in taking action.

In almost all organization/institution and even in a country, decision and actions are taken by only a group
of individuals who contribute their various views towards reaching a consensus and hence, taking actions.
The points of views of these groups of people, in most cases, bring about revolutionary actions.
An increased no. of laws or rules, ironically leads to a diminished sense of morality and impoverish d
relations among people.

An increase in d number of laws/rules does lead to a diminished sense of morality and impoverish d
relations among people. Laws are made to ensure orderliness and morality but what happens when these
laws become too much?

First, with an increase in d no. of laws, there is an attendant decrease in the freedom for d use of ones
discretion and judgement. Everybody seems to act like a programmed machine on a do or die mission.
A story in the bible presents a scenario that will help explain d effect of the many laws of d jews. During
d time Jesus lived among the jews, the jewish tradition was made somewhat immoral by the enactment of
so many laws and one of these laws forbids d healing on the Sabbath day.

Secondly, the relation among people is weakened with an increase in d no. of laws governing a particular
society. When there are so many laws, most of them are bound to be detrimental to some individuals
personal values. Hence, in d course of trying to abide by a law, so many people may be hurt. Few years
ago, a bill was passed in Nigeria, allowing full access to peoples farm land by Fulani herds men and their
cattle for the purpose of grazing. The passage of this bill has aggravated serious bloody conflicts btw
herds men and the owners of farmland ever since. But, if there was no such law, d herdsmen will only
encroach farmlands with due permission from the owners and there will be no conflict/infringement.

Thirdly an increased no. of rules or laws in a society will tend to undermine d piece of conscience &
moral-religious teachings. This is bcos most ppl will take d law as over encompassing & will find it
difficult to take decisions in situations whr there are no laws. In addition, a teenage child will be justified
when he engages in illicit sex, since there is no law dt forbids her to do such.

forda more, I only hav a limited agreement with d claim considering d unqualified use of laws orrules.
This is bcos if these laws, though many, were made flexible, then there will be room for personal
judgement & d use of discretion.

In conclusion, the claim is clearly true especially in situations whr d laws are rigid.
An ideaalone, no matter how great, is meaningless unless it is put into practice

Is an idea actually meaningless bcos it is not practicalized? A cursory look at ds question will induce an
affirmative answer. But with a deeper investigation, one can realize dt d evidences supporting d statement
are illogical.

The end justifies d means is a saying dt may not always be applicable to all situations. The statement an
idea is meaningless unless it is practiced is not an exception. An idea connotes plausible hypothesis
subject to further investigation and adoption. When such hypothesis is proved wrong at the present time,
such idea is not relegated to d background. Had galilee galileos assertion been thrown away, we would
not have had d law dt d earth revolves round d sun. An idea may seem meaningless at 1 st, but in d long
run, with several modifications by various intellects, it could b made it a historic invention.

Several ideas, though not practicalized, give us the key to unlocking greater ideas dt become
practicalized. Such is d newtons 3rd law which states dt for every action, dia is an equal & opposite
rxn. Ds law may not have been practicalized at its institution, but in later years, it led to d manufacturing
of several machines such as d rocket.

A meaningful idea may b conceived by a young boy living in a rural area, but d idea may not b put into
practice bcos of d lack of basic infrastructure and laboratories.

An idea may b meaningless to a category of ppl who are unable to put it into practice; whereas another
category of ppl myt find dt same idea potentially meaningful. Hence it is difficult to classify an idea as
entirely worthless.

In conclusion, whether an idea is meaningless or meaningful cannot b determinedby its practicability

only. There are other factors dt inform d qualification of an idea as either meaningless or meaningful.
The value of ancient works, no matter how great cannot be accurately judged bcos modern standards
cannot b known

Ancient works may b said to include relatively old artefacts such as jjjjj

One would readily agree dt these historic structures can b rated as very beautiful when judged by either
modern or ancient standards. But a very important question comes to mind: Can ancient standards still b
accessed? D answer to ds intriguing question will b addressed in d subsequent paragraphs.

We do not have only one surviving ancient work. Rather, there are several works of d old dt still exist;
and one will hardly deny d possibility of judging such ancient work relative to similar works dt were
produced during d same time. For instance more value is attached to d mona lisa painting when it is
compared with several other historical paintings.

The value of most ancient works can b ascertained equally by either modern or ancient standards. This is
true since so many ancient works, even though they do not have several modern endowments, still meet
modern standards.

Most ancient standards are conserved up till date. In other words, most ancient standards coincide with
modern standards. Therefore d value of an ancient work may b determined without reluctance according
to either of d standards available. The accuracy in d judgement of d value of an ancient work an b
improved by considering effect of time on such work.

A modern standard may b d result of a modified ancient standard. When a standard is modified, d original
standard is kept for reference. Hence, most ancient standard can still b known.

Most ancient works are so unique dt no standard(whether ancient or modern) is required to rate/judge it.
When sth is judged as ugly or lacking in style, it is only bcos it is being perceived by someone other than
its target audience

A common saying is dt beauty is in d eyes of d beholder. In a bid to making d above statement explicit,
we can attach a phrase to it so dt we now have dt beauty is in d eyes of d beholder and not a category of
beholders. While some ppl may argue dt d qualification of sth as either beautiful or ugly is accurately
done only by its target audience, d fact remains dt d perception of a member of d target audience may b
contrary to dt held by other members of d target audience.. Hence, I strongly believe dt d assertion of sth
being ugly is not a mere consequence of dt thing being perceived by a non-target audience. d major
reason being dt d target audience may be divided in their judgement.

One might argue dt d rxn of an old man and a teenager listening to a hip-hop music will differ bcos both
of them can b classified as both non-target and target audience; since d old man will probably judge d
song as being clangorous to d ear while d teenager will judge d song to b fantastic. On the other hand, if
dt teenager was to b one who detests hip-hop, then he would concur to d old mans judgement. Therefore,
it is clear dt d judgement of d value of sth(such as a song) is more of an individual affair rather than a
whole category.

Secondly, d taste of a regimen(such as a brand of sugar-free yoghurts) meant for octogenerians may b
unappealing to most of d ppl in dt age bracket. So, can we say dt since dt brand of sugar-free yoghurts are
meant for octogenerians, they will all perceive its taste as sweet? Of course not, despite d fact dt they are
d target consumers of such brand of yoghurt, some of them might perceive its tasty as sour.

An individual may judge a building as being ugly. But we have no claim to classify sucxh individual as
being a non-target audience. Therefore, there are many reasons dt led to dt individuals judgement. It could
be dt d individual has phobia for some of d adornments on d building. (to points embedded,bt I hav
insufficient words to split dem into to paragraphs)
Trulyinnovative ideastend to come from individuals, bcos grps tend to work towards consensus & d
status quo

The idea of inventing a light bulb came from only Thomas Edison and not a group of individuals.
Knowing fully well dt d credit of innovation will only b shared, individuals working in as a group may
feel reluctant to share their innovative ideas. They will rather prefer to work on it alone. Hence, although
one might argue dt some innovative ideas came from a group of individuals, d innovative ideas dt has
revolutionized d world came from individuals. Therefore it is clear dt truly innovative ideas tend to come
from individuals bcos they have more motivation.

First, landmark innovations in d past were championed by individuals who knowing d crown dt
accompanies d innovation worked tirelessly towards achieving a feat.

An interview was conducted by a researcher on d merits and demerits of both group projects and
individual projects ina high institution. The report of d interview revealed dt more successes better results
were obtaining by students were obtaining by students who carried out a project alone. One of d
advantages dt accrue to ppl dt embark on individual projects is dt they, knowing fully well dt d burden of
d project work rest solely on them, are more hardworking. On the other hand, members of a group project
work usually feel lax, since they are not fully responsible for d execution of d project.

One may argue dt there is division of labour when a research or project work is carried out by a group of
ppl. But d above assertion may b averted when 1 considers d fact dt a member of d group may b dull and
non-diligent. In such a situation d amount of time saved by division of labour is offset.

Fourtly, Despite d fact dt there is limited room/provision for innovative thinking, a member of a group
may find it difficult to disclose his innovation, lest d credit & benefits accruable to s innovation becomes
shared amongst all d members of d group.
It is far more important to define what U are for than what U are against

There is a proclivity dt 1 finds it easier to give reasons for what he/she stands for than for what he is
against. While some ppl may argue dt it is very pertinent to define what U arwe not for. After weighing
both sides, it is impulsive to claim dt what someone is for , is more important to define bcos dt person has
more info abt what he is for. Also, there is a higher tendency for one to define what he is for more
comfortably and accurately.

First, when someone tries to define what he does not support, there is a natural tendency dt he will make
mistakes and his definition may b xterized by bias and prejudice. Hence, such a definition can be said to b
unimportant

Second, there is a high tendency for ppl to disregard/relegate d definitionof sth (e.g a concept) provided
by someone, given d fact dt d person does not actually support dt concept.

Thirdly, one is eexpcted to offer a more explicit definition of what he stands for what he is against. This is
bcos it is believed dt he has more grounds/evidences to defend dt which he stands for
Education consists of making errors:

Albert Einstein failed times bfor he could achieve success. One might argue dt there are no mistakes in
education, but others would state dt for one to pass thru a process, he must have committed some
blunders. There is obviously more evidence to back d former(education consists of committing blunders)
than d latter. The subsequent paragraphs will treat these evidences.

After having gone thru several educational levels, starting from kindergarten thru college, I have observed
thru personal expriences dt education consists of making errors and those errors being corrected by
teachers or by self thru further study.

The statement dt Education consists of making error should be obvious to every scholar when he recalls
d no. of times he could not make a 100% in his course work.

Errors are of one of d reasons why a student hardly gets 100% in an exam.
The unknown is necessary (pls define an unknown for me)

A recent scientific study reveals dt there is always a breakthrough dt accompanies d uncovering of

undiscovered elements. This is d essence of research. Albiet, some may still argue dt we have no use for d
unknown whereas other sources like d recent survey provides stronger evidence to back d assertion dt d
unknown is necessary. However, I have no doubt dt finding/knowing d unknown is very important, since,
such unknown could be masking revolutionary powers.

Bfor d discovery of crude oil in in ,the content of d deep

sea can be said to b unknown. But
after d unmasking of d potentials of d content of d deep sea(crude oil). It
has led to developments and innovations dt has revolutionalized d world.

In maths, the unknown value of X is usually d hallmark of word problems.

Skill alone, no matter how great, does not guarantee a master piece

The ability to do sth well is referred to as Skill, while a master piece is a work of outstanding skill or
workmanship. Although one might argue dt a master piece is d product of skill alone. I believe dt several
other factors contribute to d production of a masterpiece such factors may rightly include d use of
sophisticated tools/technology, d review of superior works by other authors, etc. These other factors will
form d discussions of d following paragraphs.

First, d use of sophisticated tools plays a vital role in d production of a masterpiece dt meets modern
standards. For instance, a cloth woven by a sewing machine appears more refined than a similar cloth
woven manually(by hand).

Second, a work is said to merit d master piece-title if it can stand out amongst similar works done by
other authors
Success means a greater ability to communicate ones essence

Was Abraham Lincoln successful bcos he was able to portray himself as indispensable? While some may
answer this question in the affirmative, but a careful investigation shows dt Abraham Licolns success
was a result of the opposite. Our society would have known great failure if each professional equates
being successful to being indispensable. After weighing d evidence, it is certain dt success does not
necessarily entail one being able to show his intrinsic values, bcos ones intrinsic values doesnot
necessarily translate to success.

Consider a case where d pioneer civil engineers deemed themselves as indispensable in d act of erecting a
building. The success of d project would not have been attainable. In such a situation, we would only
have an unrealized project. But bcos of d acknowledgement of d fact dt complete success can only b
achieved by d interplay of d mech., elctrcal, electronic and material engrs, d civil enginerrs were able to
work togeda with these other professionals towards d achievement of one of d worlds greatest structure.
Hence, success does not mean a greater ability to communicate ones essence
A student who wishes to succeed in business should study anything but business while in school, he or
she will learn skills of business. However, d value of adding d additional perspectives gained by studying
others fields of knowledge is too valuable to pass up

A recent study revealed dt a good percentage of students prefer courses/subjects which are vital to their
dream profession. Although one might argue dt a student who wishes to excel in business should strive to
acquire knowledge of other fields, d time spent in studying these extrainous materials may not justify its
benefits. In my view, a student who wishes to succeed in business should focus on acquiring knowledge
dt accrue to business alone so dt he can become more specialized.

A common saying is dt A jack of all trade is a master of known. Ds saying can be said to b axiomatic
(self-explaining) bcos when one tries to acquire knowledge of lots of fields he will end up giving each of
those field very little time. At d end of d day hell hav little or no knowledge of those fields. Also, note dt
for one to spend time acquiring knowledge of anoda field hell hav to forgo similar amount of time that
may earn him knowledge in his core field.

OPPOSITE VIEW:

One may argue dt for a student to b interested in business, it means dt he has some intrinsic knowledge of
business and as such he may only have to devote little time to d study of business related courses
A nation should require all of its students to study the same national curricula until they enter college

Firstly, it is only when students have been given similar training, that we can examine them with similar

yard stick. This fact cannot be over emphasized, take for instance, in Nigeria, JAMB is a unique exam

taken by all secondary school leavers. Hence, a student that makes a distinction can be referred to be

the most brilliant among his colleagues since they were accessed by a similar examination.

The law enforcement agencies cannot expcet similar code of conduct from the citizens of a country

when they have not been given similar moral instructions-courses. Consider a country where there are

more than one rule, it will be extremely difficult to judge someones conduct, since some rules may

justify the person, while other rules may condemn the person.

It is reasonable to argue that every student needs some basic knowledge of science and arts so that by

the time such student becomes a professional, he will not be mesmerized by another professional.

Most national curricula are characterised by subjects such as physical and health education, Moral

instructions, e.t.c. Such subjects are very vital to our daily lives bcos they teach us how to stay healthy,

how to b of good conduct etc.

the way things work

"It takes a village to raise a child." The education of your children is the task of the community as a
whole, not merely the province of teachers and local school administrators.

Before independence in miost countries there were no schools, but does this mean that the children in
those days acquired no knowledge? However,the primary purpose of sending a child to school should not
be to limit the the child's knowledge to that of her teachers and local school administrators. There is more
to teach a child than the teacher can, therefore it will take a village to raise a child.

This explains the reason behind the son of a palm-wine tapper growing up to become a palm-wine tapper
too.

Morals, though taught in school is not done as good as it is done at home. In addition to morals, the child
learns about her culture from her parents and through continuous observation of the villagers.

The mother-tongue of a child is learnt from interaction with his peers

The environment of a child has a big role to play in his upbringing.

In our society today, lots of violent acts are being perpetrated on daily basis by children. One
may ask: who teaches these children how to be violent? The media does! Every child loves
immmitating what he/she has seen some other person do and the violent acts shown on the TV
stations/movies are no exceptions to what a child will like to practicalize.Consider a case where a
youngster watches a movie-scene where the protaganist(the good guy) unleashes brutal attacks
on his rivals (the bad guys), even when the rivals show signs of detournment. The child will want
to immitate the good guy, not minding the moral justification of his actions.Secondly, Children
become violent when they watch programs like Wrestling where the more violent is usually the
winner. The child tries to practicalize several smackdowns, despite the "DON'T TRY THIS AT
HOME" warnings. Many a time, the child's younger brother or sister becomes the victim of the
violent acts the child has learnt.One may argue that peer groups is a mojor source through which
a child becomes violent. Such an assertion is made when one fails to acknowldege the fact that
the so called violent peer (who influences the child) has probably watched more violent movies
or has more access to violent movies than the supposed non-violent chilsdAniother person may
argue that the role of parents are tantamount to a child's attitude. But the fact remains that the
parents will not always be there to scrutinize what the child
The result of an action is more important than the action itself

A famous saying is that: "The end justifies the means, but what if the value of the means
supercedes that of the end result?The results of an action is not a good factor for the justification
of that action because in most cases the action itself could cause more harm thanits resultys.First,
In Nigeria today, there is an increase in the activities of ritualists, who kidnap people, butcher
them and sacrifice them in return for wealth. Is such person worthy of laudations?Thirdly, It is
very unwise to sacrifice that which is worthwhile on the alter of that which is worthless. Take for
instance, The destruction of a monumental artefact in order to raise a hotel so that incomes could
be generated. Yes, such an action results in the creation of a source of fund, but we tend to forget
the fact that the hotel could have been built at a different location but the destroyed monument
can never be achieved again, and we have sacrificed what can never be obtained for that which is
readily obtainable.One may argue that the citizens of a country a more interested in a successful
econmy, not minding the course taken by the government in attaining such successful economy.
Such citizens are rather myopic, because the government might actually rob peter to pay paul.
Consider a case where a government decides to sell its major oil reserves in order to improve the
immediate econoimic situation of a country. The long term consequence of such unwise action is
obvious. The country will still have to suffer the consequences of an absence of a steady source
of revenue.