IELTS Essay # 31 - Some people believe that children should go to extra classes after school. Others, however, think that children should spend that time playing instead. Discuses both views and give your own opinion.

Essay # 31

Some people believe that children should go to extra classes after school. Others, however, think that children should spend that time playing instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

There is a broad range of programs and activities around nowadays, where the parents wish for their children to go after school. But some people also feel this robs them of their independent playtime. This essay shall discuss both these statements further.

After-school activities do wonders for a child's development. They are linked to improving social skills, grades, overall coordination, sense-of-self and relationships with adults other than mom and dad. They can let a child’s creative instincts fly or get them active in fitness. Kids get a chance to be themselves, free of the structure they face at school. Children are under so much pressure these days, that it would be a really good idea to engage them in activities that they can enjoy and at the same time, learn from.

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that playtime is an inseparable part of childhood. Games like hide and seek, house, tag and so on create many irreplaceable and precious memories of happiness for children. Apart from this, in play, children also learn how to control their impulses and follow rules, for example, in play-fights and tea-parties. Play time is in short supply for children these days and the lifelong consequences for developing children can be more serious than many people realize. Many surveys have suggested that lack of play affects emotional development, leading to the rise of anxiety, depression, and problems of attention and self control.

To conclude, I’d say a healthy blend of extra activities and sufficient playtime should be formed for children so that they don’t get too addicted to or too tired of any one of these. Of course, learning co-curricular skills is beneficial for a child, but the core childhood environments should not be compensated for that.

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