Some people think that children should learn how to compete, but others think that children should be taught to cooperate to become more useful adults.

　　Express some reasons for both views and give your own opinions.

　　The current dispute on whether children should be taught to compete or to cooperate among some people should, to my mind, be reconciled if we consider the fact that children’s education should be examined according to general education guidelines and specific situations.

　　Education’s primary goal is moral development. In every country, elementary school pupils learn moral values and the rights and duties of citizenship besides reading and writing. Children are expected to learn, for example, honesty, cooperation and the rules of social behavior so that they may acquire an understanding of universal moral principles necessary for society’s survival and to become more useful adults after their growing up.

　　Moreover, as we know, the effect of an activity or experience depends on how the child interprets it. For instance, violent behavior on television may heighten the aggressive tendencies of a child who considers such behavior permissible. Children are less likely to be influenced by TV violence if they have learned that violent behavior is wrong.

　　Education also helps children adjust to changes in specific situations. This benefit has become increasingly important because social changes today take place with rapid speed, and affects the lives of more and more children. For example, the competition among school leavers for enrolment in key high schools has become fiercer year by year. Education can help a child understand it and provide the skills for adjusting to it. Therefore, children should learn how to compete with other children in order not to fail in the competition. (250 words)