TOEFL iBT Independent Writing Which do you think it is more worthwhile for the government to spend money on, scientific research or training programs for teachers?

Writing Topic

Which do you think it is more worthwhile for the government to spend money on, scientific research or training programs for teachers? Support your response by including specific reasons and examples.

 

☆Let’s think

1         Research the government spending of your country. Which does it probably spend more money on, scientific research or training programs for teachers? (See: https://www.nta.go.jp/taxes/kids/hatten/page06.htm)

 

2         How will the government benefit from spending money on scientific research?

 

3         How will the government benefit from spending money on training programs for teachers?

 

☆Ideas and Expressions

Benefits of scientific research

1.     Science pays the money back quickly with discoveries and inventions. Japan, for example, has had budget cuts over the past decade especially on basic researches, which has seen breakthroughs so far but will stop seeing it from now on if this trend continues.

 

2.     To build and maintain the infrastructure of the country, governments should subsidize research and development to increase knowledge and skills for the purpose.

 

3.     To cope with the impact of climate crisis, we need to increase research and reward the experts.

 

Benefits of training programs for teachers

1.     It will benefit the government in the long run. It will raise the academic level of the whole population, who will build a good county. It will also raise the levels of both science and humanities.

 

2.     Good education will reduce the number of health and social problems. The more educated people are, the fewer health and social problems they are likely to have. It will increase the number of children who finish primary education and continue to middle school and higher education. It will also reduce the number of bullying, which is endemic to this country.

 

3.     To find more talents, teachers should be trained more. Many people who are as good as any successful people are doing menial jobs because they were not taught properly and recognized when they were in school. They could have contributed to the country if they had received a good education.

 

Reasons for your choice

1.       New information costs money to acquire, and science is all about new information. On the other hand, education is to pass down information that is already shared.

2.       Teachers are too busy to educate themselves. They also lack resources for training by themselves.

3.       Money for science is directed to military, for developing weapons.

 

☆Sample Body Structures

Sample A

【Advantages of spending money on scientific research】

【Advantages of spending money on training programs of teachers】

【Your choice】

 

Sample B

【Advantage 1】

【Advantage 2】

【The reason why the advantages of the other choice does not matter】

Your Sample Essay Structure

【Introduction = Outline】

【                    】

【                    】

【                    】

【Conclusion = Wrap-up】