Critical reasoning – Should all school teachers be debarred from giving private tuitions? Statement: “Should all the school teachers be prohibited from offering private tuition outside school hours?” Arguments to evaluate: I. No. Needy students will be deprived of these teachers’ expertise. II. Yes. This is an injustice to unemployed educated people who could earn by tutoring. III. Yes. Only then will the quality of teaching in schools improve. IV. Yes. Teachers’ salaries are now reasonable.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Only I and III are strong

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This is an “Arguments” question. We must judge which arguments are strong, meaning relevant, logical, and sufficiently persuasive, without relying on extreme or unsupported assumptions. The policy is a blanket ban on teachers’ private tuitions.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Debate: whether teachers should be barred from private tutoring.
  • We assume standard goals: student welfare and improving school teaching quality.
  • No specific statute or contract terms are provided; we reason from general policy principles.


Concept / Approach:
Strong arguments address direct consequences or align with widely accepted educational objectives (access, equity, conflict-of-interest management). Weak arguments are tangential, speculative, or appeal to sentiments not central to the decision.



Step-by-Step Solution:

Argument I (No—students would lose access to expertise): Strong. It highlights a concrete negative externality for academically weak or low-income students who rely on affordable teacher-led help.Argument II (Yes—unemployed graduates need income): Weak. The core policy goal is school education quality and student outcomes, not job allocation among tutors. It is tangential to the main objective.Argument III (Yes—school teaching quality will improve): Strong. Private tuitions can create conflicts of interest (diverting energy/time, potential soft-pedalling in class). A ban could realign incentives toward classroom effectiveness.Argument IV (Yes—salaries are now reasonable): Weak as framed. Salary levels do not, by themselves, prove that a ban is necessary or beneficial for learning outcomes.


Verification / Alternative check:

Many systems regulate private tutoring to address conflicts of interest while protecting access; both student access (I) and classroom quality (III) are valid policy rationales in tension.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:

Options including II or IV overstate weak or irrelevant reasoning. “None of these” is incorrect because I and III are indeed strong.


Common Pitfalls:

Confusing labour-market fairness with education-quality objectives; assuming salary alone resolves incentive issues.


Final Answer:
Only I and III are strong

More Questions from Statement and Argument

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