Issue Task: Students should always question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively.
Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting your position, you should consider ways in which the statement might or might not hold true and explain how these considerations shape your position.

In the education system, many students are encouraged to listen to their superiors and rarely question what they say. Usually, students are discouraged from questioning what they are taught, but instead are encouraged to accept it passively. However, it is my belief that students should sometimes question what they are taught, especially if they feel like their teacher is incorrect. Students should still respect their teachers, and they should not question every concept they are taught. Instead, they should be active thinkers in their education careers. Students need to learn how to think for themselves, and by questioning their educators when necessary, they can achieve this quality. I believe that there is a balance between accepting concepts passively and questioning them. Therefore, I neither agree or disagree with the statement that students should always question what they are taught instead of accepting it passively.

To begin, if students just accept every concept they are taught throughout school, they will lose the ability to think freely for themselves. For example, in my AP Literature class in high school, my teacher encouraged us to speak up and give our opinions when discussing a piece of literature. Each novel or poem we read, we always analyzed and discussed them in class. If my teacher had just told us his opinions on what the meaning of each novel was, and our class never gave our input, we would lose valuable thinking abilities. By actively imputing our opinions, we gradually learned how to become more independent thinkers. Sometimes, our thoughts and opinions were way different than those of our teacher, but it helped lead to more discussion and understanding. Therefore, it is important that students do not just passively accept the concepts they are taught and should question what they are taught in certain cases.

However, there are some cases when students should not question what they are taught. A history class is a prime example of a situation when students should just accept the information they are taught. George Washington was America's first president. This statement is taught to every single American student early in their school careers. This statement is a fact that can not and will not ever change. For a student to question a historical fact is absurd and inappropriate. Science is another subject where students should limit what they question. Many concepts in science, such as the law of gravity, is static and will never change. Students need to learn when it is an appropriate time to challenge what they are taught and when to accept what they are taught.

Students should be active thinkers in their school careers, and they should develop skills to think independently. If a student continued to accept everything they are taught passively without thinking about it, they will end up losing the ability to think independently. As educators, teachers should encourage students to question what they are taught, respectfully, when it is appropriate. However, there are certain circumstances, such as historical facts, that should not be challenged because they can never change. In the education system, students should be taught when it is appropriate to input their challenging opinions and when to accept what they are taught passively.