IELTS Writing Task 2: Education sample answer — Band 8

Opinion is divided over the central purpose of a university: some argue it should cultivate academic knowledge for its own sake, while others insist it should equip graduates with practical, job-ready skills. In my view, these aims are not mutually exclusive, and the best universities pursue both.

Those who favour academic skills point to the long-term value of deep, disciplined thinking. A university that teaches students to analyse evidence, construct arguments and question assumptions produces graduates who can adapt to problems that did not even exist when they studied. From this perspective, narrowing education to whatever the current job market wants is short-sighted, because specific technical skills date quickly while the capacity to learn does not.

Those who emphasise employability, on the other hand, make a fair social and economic case. Most students enrol partly to improve their career prospects, and graduating with significant debt but few marketable skills helps no one. Universities that ignore the labour market risk producing knowledgeable graduates who struggle to find work, which undermines the very investment students have made.

In my opinion, the two goals reinforce each other rather than compete. Strong analytical foundations make practical skills more transferable, while placements and applied projects give academic learning a concrete purpose. A university that combines rigorous thinking with real-world relevance serves both the student and society best.