教师简介：新东方重庆学校雅思写作组教师，澳大利亚悉尼大学出版学硕士，专业八级，雅思8.5分，BEC 高级。主授科目：雅思写作。

题目：Much emphasis has been laid on academic study. Some people think we should encourage more people to take vocational training because there are not enough qualified tradespeople. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

范文：For the last several decades we may have been bearing witness to the growth of a streak of bias, one that is increasingly manifesting itself in the assumptions we make about people working with their hands and judgmentswe form about their overall worthiness based upon the kind of work they do.  This may be what drives more emphasis on academic study over apprenticeship in some countries.It thus gradually becomes one major concern for some that soaring social demands cannot be met, hence the suggestion ofincreasing the participation rate on vocational training programs. Personally I find this proposal reasonable.

It is fairly understandable that some students, or more precisely, the parents place high value on the pursuit of academic achievement and higher education. Educational qualifications such as a master degree granted by one of the most prestigious universities in the world, in most cases, can be a great asset on one’s curriculum vitae,  thus bringing in its wake far more promising career prospect.  Also, this attitude may be strengthened by the general high regard among the public for people with excellent educational background who potentially will develop into one of the leading lawmakers or media elites.

Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that priority should always be given to academic performance, nor does it imply that being a tradesman, whether an electrician or a plumber, is something to be ashamed of or looked down upon.  What these people do, in fact, contributes to the building block of the society. Their contributions are of such immense importance that they have an immediate and major impact on our daily life.  Unfortunately, the majority of young men fail to recognize the significant role of people in these professions, without whom we may not be able to enjoy a life of ease. They are somehow blinded by those social stereotypes  thusviewing these vocation with somewhat suspicion.  To make things worse, the lack of qualified tradesmen continues possibly due to inadequate vocational training provided as well.  If we, however, managed to provide thorough and high-quality training and convince more to enroll on the programs out of their own interest rather than the social prejudice, the current shortage is like to be alleviated. 

To sum up, I maintain that encouraging students to take vocational training is essential indeed, not only because there has been a deficiency in skilled workers but also because it is not just those who have remarkable academic achievement that ought to be adored and admired. Anyone with a decent job and contributions to society deserves to be praised and respected.