IELTS essay: Should children attend nursery schools prior to their primary studies?

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic.

Should children attend nursery schools prior to their primary studies?  Is this a positive or negative development?

Model essay

In many countries it is now mandatory for children to attend some sort of preschool before they can get into a primary school. Although some people believe that it is an ideal arrangement, it does have a few negative aspects as well. Let me elaborate.

There is no denying the fact that nursery schools teach children many skills necessary for doing well in primary and upper primary schools. It is a known fact that children who go to a nursery school have better social skills than those who spend the whole day at home with their parents. They are less shy and more comfortable interacting with other children and even elders. They learn to share and cooperate.

On the other hand, many nursery schools now put unnecessary emphasis on academics. Children as young as two and three years are taught alphabets and numbers. This puts them under tremendous pressure and robs them of their childhood. What’s more, children attending nursery schools have to be away from their parents for at least six to eight hours. This can make them feel insecure.

In conclusion, sending very young children to nursery schools is both advantageous and disadvantageous in many ways. By going to a pre-primary school, children can learn important social skills.  But pre-schooling can also expose them to academic pressure from a very early age. At least a few of them begin to detest school when they grow up. However, these problems can be solved by making sufficient changes to nursery school curriculum and placing greater emphasis on songs and play.