You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that art, such as painting and music, does not improve people’s lives, so the government should not spend money on it.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experiences.
You should write at least 250 words.
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IELTS Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay
There is a saying that art, such as painting and music, should not be included in the government budget because it does not improve the life of the population. This essay strongly agrees with this statement, and it is going to demonstrate how it is a lot more important for a government to spend most of its fund on citizens’ basic needs, such as healthcare, education, public transport.
One of the most effective uses of a government fund is to reduce the day-to-day expenditure of citizens’ essentials. This reduction could be in terms of providing subsidies on healthcare and education. In fact, these factors are more relevant to people’s lives than art due to the implication caused to individuals when these services are deficient. Furthermore, a robust health and education system can produce produce a healthy and skilled workforce which has a trickle-down effect on the overall economy and happiness. A healthy and educated person stays active, earns money, can meet the basic needs, and eventually lives a decent happy life. For instance, Canadian citizens’ happiness index rose from 55% to 86% over the last few decades, and all this is due to the government funded education and healthcare services.
In addition, public transportation system is another fundamental area where government fund should be prioritized. General people of a country predominantly use the mode of public transports, such as the bus, train etc. If these means are fast and efficient enough, the commuters would need less travel time and save a significant number of productive hours, which can eventually benefit the overall national economy. For example, the Chinese government had a massive amount of budget to develop its public transport system in the 1990s, as a result, they are enjoying the benefit of an overall economic growth.
To conclude, when it comes to the priority of government spending between art and other essentials, I am convinced that there are a lot more fundamental areas, like health education, and a proper functioning public transportation system to be addressed at first.
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