Topic 1: Does increasing travels between countries enable people to learn different cultures or to

Topic 88: Education used to be a short period of training, but today, people treat it like 
a lifelong practice. Do you agree or disagree?
 
(Media and information technologies make different learning opportunities available)
(survive fierce competition), (continue education), (improve qualification ) (specialized expertise) ;
(The education concept is in transition), (Students are not confined to a certain age group),
(value of life), (quest for knowledge), (spiritual needs) ( lifelong education).
The notion of learning throughout life is not new but only until recently has been discussed to 
a larger extent. More than learning for employment opportunities and competitive positions, 
learners pursues academic opportunities for many other purposes today. One has reasons to 
believe that education is more likely to be a lifelong presplit, rather than an isolated practice in the 
century to come.
Because of technological advances, people are now given learning opportunities in different 
contexts at work, at home or through leisure activities. People in a modern society are not 
confined to formal channels (e. g. schools) but provided with more options, such as studying 
either via the Internet or television, known as distance learning or e-learning. Learning can occur 
at all ages. The working people, parents with childcare responsibilities, the disabled and the 
elderly are all able to learn now, with time and location constraints being transcended. The era 
when education was available only in a formal school and intended for young people is bygone.
Another force that drives lifelong education is the constantly changing nature of the society. It 
is certain that at the present time, no career fields can stay static. Because of the acceleration of 
scientific and technological progress, reeducation seems to be an urgent need throughout one's 
working life, especially to those who work in hi-tech industries, such as IT. People feel compelled 
to keep themselves well-informed of all the latest changes in the industry they are working in, in 
case that they fall behind their peers. It is in sharp contrast to the past, where university education 
was sufficient for a professional career spanning three or more decades.
Pursuit of one's own targets is another reason why education tends to last a lifetime 
nowadays. The interests of people in today's society are not limited to material wealth and better 
standards of living, but involve other desires, ranging from self-expression, individuality to 
fulfillment of their own dreams. When formal education in the past was generally vocational and 
intended for sustaining life, many forms of education in today's society are non-vocational. For 
example, many people study philosophy, psychology, painting, music, history and other arts 
subjects with the purpose to put meaning into the whole of life, rather than living simply as an 
income earner.
In summary, a combination of various factors, including the educational opportunities 
provided outside standard educational systems, individuals' craving for achievement, and the 
soaring competitive pressure, accounts for why education has no endings in one's lifetime.
1. Pursuit=hobby=interest
2. Transcend=surpass=excel=exceed
3. Static=stationary=inert=unchanging=constant=unvarying
4. Span=extend=cross
5. Sustain=maintain 
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