Prompt: In many schools and universities today, women have a tendency to study the humanities (such as the arts and languages) while men more often major in science related subjects. Some believe this tendency should be changed. Ċ To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The question of whether the gender distribution in school subjects should be modified as today female students tend to pick up art subjects while their male counterparts are more likely to take up science subjects. In my opinion, whilst this notion seems legitimate, there is little value in executing this change. Ċ On the one hand, the most frequently cited rationale for remedying this imbalance is the social barrier. This argument rests on the fact that women historically had given up their education and careers to male siblings and husbands. For example, this can be most apparently seen in myriad male role models pursuing scientific aspiration, while women were more likely to excel in the arts. Leading to the current time, there has been a list of studies proclaiming that men are way better than women at science.Thus, the accumulated evidence has reasoned why this social factor obstructing equal opportunities is the driving force for this imbalanced ratio. Ċ On the other hand, albeit conceding the social aspect presented behind this development, I would still contend that heavily-handed efforts to force change could be detrimental to both genders. This is predicated on the assumption that each individual has unique personal qualities that are suitable for certain subjects and occupations, indicating that they should have freedom of choice in tertiary education. For instance, one of the salient illustrations of this can be clearly witnessed in numerous universities, which have been limiting a quota in a couple of majors for females. This might place less qualified candidates over more deserving ones, later resulting in less productivity in the workplace due to fewer opportunities given to those aspirants. Therefore, enforcing this change does not confer a valid standpoint as reducing the student's choice of subjects could bring in resentment and further social instability. Ċ In conclusion, while all reforms to offer equal educational opportunities should be welcomed, attempts to change the tendency could bring more harm than good. In my final thought, educators and career advisors should jointly propose a more holistic approach in order to encourage students to pursue their passions.