11. Children with exceptional intellectual abilities

It is a well-known fact that learning is an integral part in the life of all people. In fact, if someone wants to make one’s way in the world, obviously, they need some education, at least basic one. But no doubt, all people are different, hence they have different intellectual abilities. For example, some may be good at anything while others are keen only on a few subjects. What is more, there are people whose intellectual development goes much quicklier than their age—these are often called children-prodigy.

Personally I don’t know such people but recently I’ve an interesting article about a girl named Ruth Lawrence, who sat the entrance exam for St. Hugh’s College and was offered a scholarship from it. Actually, there wouldn’t have been anything unusual in it, if there hadn’t been said that the girl began to read at four and started academic subjects at five. What is more, Ruth has all-round abilities: she is keen on English, History, Geography, Nature Study and many other subjects; but her major is Math. Besides, she plays the piano and has quite a wide range of interests. But the most unusual fact is that Ruth has never attended school, because her parents decided to educate Ruth at home. In fact, they enjoyed teaching her and seemed to have made quite a good progress in it. Her father suppose that Ruth doesn’t work harder that other children of her age, but concentrates only on her favorite subjects. Moreover, he expects her daughter to take further degree and would be able to become a research professor in Math. The principle of the college also very excited about Ruth and her future tutor admits that taking such a young student is a great responsibility, and he will do his best to tailor the teaching to Ruth’s requirements.

In my opinion, it was rather thoughtlessly of Ruth’s parents to educate her at home. Actually, they made a great mistake, because they deprived her of a real childhood and the possibility to mix with her peers. Of course, on the one hand Ruth might get to the top and become a famous respectful professor of Math, but on the other hand, she might come across with great difficulties in socializing with other people, as she spent too much time on her own.

In conclusion I would like to add that such thing as home-schooling is vestige of the past and it mustn’t exist in modern society. I rather think that every child should attend school, because it gives them not only basic education—it is a place where children can develop their relationships, tolerance and mutual respect. It also helps them to develop critical thinking, independence of character, equips them with the confidence to face the realities of adult life.

12. Distance teaching in the uk

It goes without saying that higher education is vitally important in modern life because nowadays it is almost impossible to get a well-paid and prestigious job without a parchment. Therefore today all young people aim to get a sound education to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and skills for their future career. Generally speaking, there’re lots of various colleges and universities where one can study for a degree, but I would like to draw your attention to Distance Teaching or the so-called Open University. Practically speaking, the degrees from the OU carry the same value as those from any other red-brick institution. The main difference is that students of such university learn on their own, which means a great deal of hard work and takes a lot of time. In my view, the OU has a lot of advantages; firstly, it is open to all school-leavers, no matter what background they have. Secondly, to enter the OU you don’t need any “O” or “A” levels, which allows more people a chance to get education. Still there is one condition: the applicants must be no less than 21 years old.

As for the subjects, in the OU they range from arts and social sciences to mathematics and technology. The majority of their courses the students obtain through the post. In addition, TV and radio are regularly organized for some subjects, and for some disciplines there are a one-week summer courses. Besides, one can get a personal tutor who will be making the assessments of their abilities and will help them to avoid mistakes. What is more, the price for studying in the OU is very reasonable, and in addition those who are on a low income or unemployed can be provided with grants.

Actually, there’re various reasons why people choose studying in the OU. Some--purely for the increasing of their knowledge, others—because they want to get a second education, working at the same time. Yet, personally I think that studying in a full-time university away from home and living in a youth hostel can’t be compared with the Distance Teaching. It is obviously much cheaper, but I strongly believe that it isn’t as good, as full-time tuition. I also consider that living and studying alongside with fellow-mates makes any student more independent, helps to develop tolerance and mutual respect, besides, it gives a lot of strong impressions and a wonderful possibility to acquire lifelong friends.