On academic essays:
The basic issue is the skills imparted have no future use value except for the people who set them (academics).
Having taught writing, I would say it's not that students don't like writing (many do) but almost all students who haven't internalised the value of writing essays don't enjoy writing them because they perceive their inutility and their rigidity as a form.
@AjaanMark Interesting insight you share. In terms of the internalised value of writing - I do feel that is a key point. My internal desire for sustainable stewardship on our planet resonates so deeply within me; the only tuning fork to harmonize these feelings is through the art of writing (albeit being a rather amateur practitioner of it outside the remit of technical reporting). E.g: https://www.formresilience.com/what-can-a-matriarch-teach-us-about-leadership/
