Q:1 Some people believe that schools should focus more on developing students’ soft skills (communication, teamwork) rather than only academic knowledge. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Expected band score 7.5 - Written in the layout 10 DEC 2025 (by Ustad-e-Mohterum)
From an analytical perspective, the influential impact of soft skills attracts our immediate attention because of their universal significance. In the given context, I tend to agree with the statement that due to the growing applications of soft skills—such as communication—children should learn these at the school level along with traditional education. Before stretching this discourse further, let us discuss why this is the case.
There are two fundamental reasons why delivering the knowledge of interpersonal skills is essential in the education system: growing demand and benefits to the learners. The foremost factor that goes in favour of this viewpoint is the need for these skills in society. For instance, persuasive language is required in corporate sectors. More or less all staff members in the sales department should have convincing power, which is widely considered indispensable for scaling up profit. Moreover, only a cooperative team member can produce a synergizing effect, leading to increased productivity.
The second plausible explanation for teaching these skills is the employment opportunities they create. In reality, those who acquire this education will outperform others in the future market, and for this reason, they gain monetary benefits manyfolds more than those who learn only traditional knowledge.
Conversely, opponents rightly argue that students nowadays are heavily engaged in their academics, and at this stage, the introduction of any new subject could be harmful for young learners. They further their argument by offering a reasonable justification for teaching such skills at advanced levels because students need them right after the completion of their studies. According to their perspective, due to private schooling and show-off culture, learners are already exploited and going through extreme stress. Any addition of coursework may possibly aggravate the situation further.
In conclusion, I believe that soft skills should be part of the school curriculum because of their growing demand in society. Moreover, these skills could be lucrative and rewarding in the future. It is recommended that despite their relevance in modern education, the course should remain simple and easy to digest to avoid academic pressure on learners.