Task 2 Sample Answer

Written by David S. Wills · June 28, 2017

The following is a sample answer for IELTS writing task 2. You can learn about IELTS essay structures here and about the topic of education here.

Question

Government funding should only be provided for the best students as scholarships. Other funding of universities should come from student fees and private organizations.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Answer

Around the world, there are various ways that universities receive their funding. Some people believe that they should be partly funded through the government by means of scholarships for particularly gifted students, but that generally their funding should come from tuition and other sources. I agree with this position, but only up to a point.

Every government has some attitude towards educational funding, but most provide some sort of assistance to their country’s institutes of higher learning. In some cases, like in Scotland or Norway, governments pay for all students to study at university. However, in other countries they provide some support to excellent students, and let the universities obtain their own general funding. This system works well, but I think it should be expanded not just to include the most gifted students, but also to ensure diversity, which is also important for education and society as a whole.

We must also be careful in considering where other sources in income come from, as these will undoubtedly affect the quality of education provided. In many places, corporations and religious institute will make contributions to a university; however, these may influence the university in some negative way. On the other hand, these donations provide valuable resources for universities that may otherwise struggle to raise funds.

In conclusion, there is no perfect way to operate a university, and a variety of sources for funding is probably the best that could be expected. The government should certainly contribute something, but perhaps it is unfair that they only cover expenses for the most intelligent students. We must also be wary of the influence of those who fund our schools.