Unpaid Community Service

­Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children)
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Community service and pursuits such as charity work are praiseworthy and important ventures. There are both benefits for the individuals who are helped as well as for the volunteers. However, the issue of obligatory community service raises questions as to the extent of the advantages it would provide.

If a high school student had to undertake an unpaid position working for a charity, then there may well be a certain amount of resentment on behalf of the student due to the lack of choice and the sacrifices they would have to make in terms of their free time. This could lead to the opposite effect of the program’s intention; to teach teenagers valuable life lessons, such as respect and empathy for others. Conversely, a compulsory volunteering project could have a positive effect on high school pupils as it would become a commonplace and expected situation. As these teenagers grow up, the attributes that they gain from community services could help to shape a better, more caring society.

The opportunity to understand hard work, self-discipline and the duty of care that all individuals have is clearly of educational benefit. However these qualities could also be learned from paid work. Many students at high school have to maintain a part-time job in order to support their families or save for their future. Compulsory community service would severely disrupt the requirements of these students and be incompatible with their lives and schedules.

To exploit the various advantages that community service offers, it should be available in schools but not be obligatory. If improving the area by picking up litter, for example, was rewarded and respected by institutions, then teenagers would be more likely to happily engage in such activities. In a similar way, if schools were able to provide charitable pursuits that matched an individual's future aspirations, then this would be a better path to follow.

In conclusion, I am convinced that offering well-respected and useful opportunities to do community service to high school students is far more beneficial than forced participation.