Some people believe that some unpaid community service should be compulsory part of high school programmers.

Question

to what extend do you agree or disagree. state your reasons

Answer 1

Community service is an admirable undertaking but I don't believe it should be compulsory.  People who are compelled to serve can form a negative attitude if they are not serving with the right spirit, and thus defeat one of the main purposes of community service, to build good attitudes and good relations.  

Answer 2

How about using it as an alternative to service in the US Army.  That could work. /

Answer 3

My high school was one that required a certain number of community service hours each year, and I think it was a hugely valuable program for a number of reasons.

It creates a certain level of normalcy around volunteering. In the business world (which most people will wind up working in, or at the very least be exposed to) there is a common sense of "why would I do work I'm not paid for?" Volunteering in high school exposes kids to the fact that giving your time to help others is valuable and meaningful.

High school students so often get caught up in their own lives and the  small, very intense community that they function in. Compulsory volunteering gives each student a small view of a larger world. I know that coming from a smaller high school where you see your friends every day, all day, and there was so much drama and pressure and stress, volunteering definitely helped me keep sane. I realized the rest of life isn't as much like high school as you might expect.

Volunteering allows kids to get involved in things their interested in that might not be offered by their school. My sister, now in art school, found she loved sculpture while volunteering at an after-school art program, and was able to concentrate her volunteer hours on learning something she really loved.

Probably the biggest reason I agree with it is actually for the benefit of the students. Having graduated university not so long ago and been wading through many months of job applications, I learned that jobs need skills. School teaches you knowledge and how to think. So essentially, once you finish schooling and a liberal arts education, almost everyone comes out with the same one skill. Volunteering is an awesome way for kids to gain skills they won't get in the classroom -- which I'm telling you now, you'll be grateful for! -- and allow them to make valuable contacts for life outside of school. Volunteering is also a great thing to be able to put on university applications or write college essays about, especially if you do something that you really learn from or care a lot about.

Lastly, I do think its easy enough to slide by on community service hours by doing some things on-campus -- helping out teachers, setting up chair for graduation -- and off-campus doing more routine soup kitchen or food shelter type things, often last-minute community service trips are organized by the school for kids who fell behind on their hours. So I don't think it's really putting out the kids who don't see any value in it, and I think it's sort of cough syrup-y in effect -- even if it seems like a chore, at the end of the day, its good for you and it's probably helping a lot of people who need it!

Answer 4

I agree with Zoe (sorry my comp can't do your umlaut letter).

My high school did not require community service to graduate, but I really feel this is a necessary project for students to undertake.

High school is supposed to prepare you for either college or "the real world" and part of being in the "real world" is knowing your civic duty.  Civic duty isn't just voting during voting time, it's helping your community grow and improve by helping when and where you can.

As a Gold (and Silver) Award Girl Scout and the current Youth Services Coordinator for a Red Cross Chapter, I am proud to see how many of my fellow youth actively participate in community service projects.

Community Service shouldn't be looked on as a punishment for delinquent kids or a drunk and disorderly ticket--it can be very rewarding if you find a field your interested in.  Ie developmental psych students can try volunteering at a local pre-school, disaster-oriented can try Red Cross or Habitat for Humanity.

There are hundreds of volunteer organizations for people to choose from, including Kiwanis and Rotary.  Instead of heaping multiple sports, AP classes, and jobs on high school students, I think parents would find a better fit introducing their children to the world of volunteering.