Prompt: Q: The subjects that children are taught in schools are decided by central authorities. Some people say that teachers, not politicians, should be responsible for this task. To what extent you agree or disagree with this opinion?

People have different views about who should make the decision on what kinds of subjects children learn in schools. While some people are in favor of the idea that teachers are better for this job, personally I believe that central governments and teachers should work together to choose the right subjects. Ċ There are good reasons why central authorities should be involved in the decision-making process. Firstly, governments have figures about the market requirements, they therefore know much better on what subjects and skills are urgently needed in the market for the development of the economy, which is one of the key functions of schools. More computer courses, for example, have been added into the course list by central governments in many countries due to the high demand of information technology engineers in such a computer age. Secondly, with the power and resources, the authorities have the capability to define standard subjects for most schools across the whole country and this is critical to improve the average education level. Ċ At the same time, teachers can definitely play a vital role in this task. One major reason is that they are in a better position to understand children's needs. Most teachers communicate with students on a daily basis; they would know more about what students are interested in and want to learn in schools. In addition, if some subjects are chosen by teachers themselves, they are likely to have a passion for those and be more enthusiastic in the class. Ċ In conclusion, it seems to me that central authorities and professional teachers have their own unique expertise in choosing subjects. As a result, I would argue that both should take the responsibility to define a suitable subjects list together.