IELTS Writing Task 2 – Band 8.0 Sample

In Vietnam and much of East Asia, it is common for teenagers to spend their evenings and weekends in extra classes after a full day at school, often at considerable expense to their parents. While private tutoring can help individual students, I believe its widespread use is largely a negative development.

Admittedly, tutoring has its merits. In crowded classrooms of forty or more pupils, teachers cannot give every child individual attention, so a tutor can fill gaps in understanding and help weaker students catch up. A student who falls behind in mathematics, for example, may regain confidence after a few months of one-to-one lessons. For students preparing for highly competitive entrance exams, extra lessons may also provide targeted exam practice.

Nevertheless, when tutoring becomes the norm rather than the exception, its costs outweigh its benefits. Firstly, it deprives teenagers of time for rest, sport and hobbies, which are essential for their physical and mental health, and leaves many of them under constant pressure to perform. Secondly, it widens the gap between rich and poor, because children from families who cannot afford expensive classes tend to fall further behind. Finally, the culture of extra classes can undermine mainstream schooling: if parents assume that real learning happens elsewhere, there is less pressure on schools to improve. In some cases, teachers even run paid classes for their own pupils, creating a clear conflict of interest.

In conclusion, although private tutoring offers valuable support to students who are struggling, its excessive use places an unfair burden on young people and their families. Investment in smaller classes and better teaching would be a far more effective way to raise standards for everyone, so that success no longer depends on how much a family can pay.