Some people say that in all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, too much time is spent on learning facts and not on learning practical skills Do you agree or disagree?

One of they key factors in providing a rich and modern educational experience is balancing the teaching of

knowledge

and practical skills. Both are important aspects of a quality

education

, but recently people have been arguing that too much time is being spent teaching factual information at the expense of the development of hands-on skills. I certainly feel that

this

is the case during compulsory

education

up to the age of 16,

although

it’s less of an issue when it comes to university. The main reason for my view is that skills, which are an essential part of

education

, tend to be neglected when the learning of factual

knowledge

is over-emphasised.

This

has become a problem in the era of standardised testing, especially in the area of pre-16 compulsory

education

, where many governments around the world have started to introduce more examinations as a way of measuring student progress. Tests, by their very nature, tend to ask questions about

facts

Suggestion

the facts

, and

this

has led to a reduction in emphasis on skills.

For example

, I used to teach in a school where hands-on scientific experiments were neglected in favour of learning scientific facts from textbooks, something which was entirely due to the importance placed on science examinations.

However

, I feel that the problem of balancing skills and

knowledge

teaching at the post-16 level is less of a concern. Many university courses, by their very nature, tend to emphasise theoretical, rather than practical,

knowledge

, and there are plenty of vocational courses available in less academic higher

education

institutions.

For example

, there is a local college in my town which has a curriculum rich in practical skills development, with courses available in everything from photography to bricklaying. The increasing emphasis on teaching factual information over skills-based approaches is certainly a problem in our schools. The huge pressure on teachers to secure good exam results means practical lessons and experiments are being dropped, and children’s backpacks are being increasingly weighed down by textbooks. If we are to provide our young people with skills suited for the 21st century, we will need to address

this

imbalance.