Some people think that secondary school students should study international news as one of their subjects; but others believe that it is a waste of their valuable study time. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Education has always involved a choice between what is immediately useful and what is intellectually necessary. In an increasingly interconnected world, international news appears to offer young people a valuable window onto global affairs. However, whether it should become a formal subject in secondary school is more controversial. I believe it should be taught, but only as a carefully designed component of civic or humanities education rather than as a heavy stand-alone subject.