Many parents think they have the right and complete control over their children's education, which is how the subject was chosen. However, the rules as they stand do not give them the authority to do more than monitor their children's academic development. As a result, it generates a lot of discussion and divergent viewpoints, which adds to the topic's appeal.
The paper's target readership includes homeschoolers who are strongly opposed to the idea of increased government control. Nevertheless, it will focus more on the religious conservatives since they have a firm belief that it is their right to decide the education path of their children. It will also address the lawmakers, mainly touching on the adverse effects of homeschooling to the parent and the children that include cost, socialization issues, and the method’s inefficiency. As such, the essay will sensitize more on the need to have more regulation.
Preliminary Thesis Statement: Although many people believe that parents have a right to decide on their children’s education including the method, homeschooling is highly disadvantageous to the children and comes with cost issues, limits socialization, and it is known to be ineffective too hence the need for more state control to regulate it.
Should taxes on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for rising medical costs?
Choice: It is a very informative topic since it touches a very crucial area of the populace; that is public health. In fact, it will enlighten more on the relationship between tax increase on alcohol and tobacco and public health.
Audience: The essay will be beneficial to the entire population; the ones supporting the move as well as those opposed to raising taxes on alcohol and tobacco. Its main coverage will be the various ways increasing tax helps in fixing budget deficit and the way in which it reduces smoking and alcoholism rates leading to substantial health gains. In this regard, it will provide useful information to all people while supporting a tax increase on alcohol and tobacco.
Preliminary Thesis: Considering the high health costs of alcohol and tobacco use, increasing their tax to pay the rising medical expenses will be highly beneficial; it will not only address budgetary deficit but also reduce tobacco use and alcoholism especially on young people and low-income earners.
Should colleges and universities expel students who are caught cheating on exams and those plagiarizing their homework assignments?
Choice: Plagiarism is an issue that is on the rise in colleges and universities; it is very tempting to plagiarize especially in the internet era where much information related to what people study is readily available and unprotected. As a result, there is a need for coming up with a practical solution to mitigate it.
Audience: The essay will address the learning institutions particularly the staff and the students while discouraging expulsion and advocating for alternative but harsh means.
Preliminary Thesis: Although no student should plagiarize an assignment, expelling them is not a practical way to condemn it, and it brings more harm than good; therefore, it is imperative to use other but harsh means that include temporary suspension, fines, or docking the student to do a repetition.
References
Bogle, A. (2012). A Brief Overview of the American Homeschooling: A Guide for Parents. WRT 150, 166.
Comas-Forgas, R., & Sureda-Negre, J. (2010). Academic plagiarism: Explanatory factors from students’ perspective. Journal of Academic Ethics, 8(3), 217-232.
Daley, J. I., Stahre, M. A., & Naimi, T. S. (2012). The impact of a 25-cent-per-drink alcohol tax
increase. The American journal of preventive medicine, 42(4), 382-389.
Marr, C., & Huang, C. (2014). Higher Tobacco Taxes Can Improve Health and Raise Overall Revenue. N.p.: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Retrieved from http://www.cbpp.org/research/higher-tobacco-taxes-can-improve-health-and-raise-revenue
Roberts, T. S. (2008). Student plagiarism in an online world: Problems and solutions. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference.
Van Schalkwyk, L., & Bouwer, C. (2011). Homeschooling: Heeding the voices of learners. Education as Change, 15(2), 179-190.
