Should Students be required to perform "Community Service"?

[declansdad]

We live in a civilized society where government is elected by the people to set laws and standards. Schools are just following the standards set by the people via government. The people, via the Government tells us what what the minimum standards are we need to graduate from high school, what the minimum standards are to be able to vote, what the minimum standards are to be able to drive, what the minimum standards are to to practice medicine, practice law, fly a plane, etc, etc.
If a school sets community service as a to receive a diploma, you are free to move your child to another school that does not have that requirement

Once again people are overlooking the fact that forced volunteerism is not a help to the organizations that are suppose to benefit from this assistance.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The school district should set the limits, within the rules the school board sets, within the rules set by the state board of education, within rules set by the legislature, with in the ruless set by the US. Department of Education, within the rules set by the U.S government.
Since every step of that process involves public hearings, and elected officials accountable to the people, I guess my final answer is....the people.

Fair enough. I moved form Long Island out to very rural NJ to get away from some "people". My current school district leaves most of our children's education up to us, the parents. The results are amazingly good.

If anyone tried to pass this kind of stuff up here, they would be run out of town on a rail.

 

[Imagineer7]

Once again people are overlooking the fact that forced volunteerism is not a help to the organizations that are suppose to benefit from this assistance.

Really? So all the pre-med students who volunteer at hospitals to get accepted into med school isn't benefitting the hospitals? All those sick kids that have someone to play with sure don't appreciate it? Interesting.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Interesting article: link

Is forced volunteering helping anyone?
The provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador are engaged in a social experiment. Each of these areas requires its high school students to put in anywhere from 25 to 40 hours volunteering in their communities in order to graduate.

The hope is that by forcing teens to give back, they will be encouraged to be good citizens and volunteers as adults. And, of course, non-profits will also benefit from an unpaid labour force.

"We do have very clear research that shows the earlier we get citizens involved in volunteering, the more likely they are to be lifelong volunteers," says Marlene Deboisbriand, president of Volunteer Canada from her office in Ottawa.

But there is one big drawback to the plan: Volunteering is something you choose to do because you want to, not because you have to. What message are we sending teens if we are equating mandatory community service with volunteering? Volunteer or risk not graduating?

"We make kids do things all the time, presumably for their own good," says Linda Graff, president of Linda Graff and Associates Inc., an international consulting firm based in Dundas, Ont., that specializes in volunteerism and non-profit management.

"To call mandatory community service 'volunteering' is a problem because then we begin to confuse the distinction between an activity that is freely chosen and something that is obligatory and perhaps not always rewarding. Volunteering should be something you choose to do because you want to do it, not because somebody made you do it."

"Over time, if we're not careful, I think we can erode that ethos of caring that really distinguishes us as a nation," says Ms. Graff. "We are known around the world as good, caring, helpful people, and that is important to who we are, what our identity is and what our communities are about. If we start to confuse that with being made to do something that is sometimes unpleasant, it's not a good thing."

 

[Jason@dvcstore]

No. I think those that want to do it should continue to do it.

Jason

 

[tvguy]

Fair enough. I moved form Long Island out to very rural NJ to get away from some "people". My current school district leaves most of our children's education up to us, the parents. The results are amazingly good.

If anyone tried to pass this kind of stuff up here, they would be run out of town on a rail.

Actually, based on a number of threads over the years here on schools in New Jersey, my impression is they are a bit different than the rest of the nation.

 

[declansdad]

Really? So all the pre-med students who volunteer at hospitals to get accepted into med school isn't benefitting the hospitals? All those sick kids that have someone to play with sure don't appreciate it? Interesting.

They are not forced to volunteer at the hospitals, big difference.

 

[tvguy]

Once again people are overlooking the fact that forced volunteerism is not a help to the organizations that are suppose to benefit from this assistance.

Well, I've been involved with the Food Bank, Homeless Shelter, Salvation Army, Blood Bank, and Little League here, and they sure spend a lot of time recruiting and organizing volunteers, not sure why they would do that if volunteerism didn't help them. And other than the Blood Bank and the Salvation Army, none has any employees, they wouldn't exist without volunteer labor.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Actually, based on a number of threads over the years here on schools in New Jersey, my impression is they are a bit different than the rest of the nation.

Can't speak for the rest of the nation, or even the entire state of NJ. I live in a very rural community with very conservative values.

 

[Imagineer7]

They are not forced to volunteer at the hospitals, big difference.

It's not a big difference at all. The med students pick what interests them and student can pick the volunteering activity that interests them as well.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Well, I've been involved with the Food Bank, Homeless Shelter, Salvation Army, Blood Bank, and Little League here, and they sure spend a lot of time recruiting and organizing volunteers, not sure why they would do that if volunteerism didn't help them. And other than the Blood Bank and the Salvation Army, none has any employees, they wouldn't exist without volunteer labor.

How many of the volunteers are forced labor? Forced labor without compensation = indentured servitude, at the very least.

Tell me, where are you going to get your volunteers after this generation of kids graduates and, because they have become turned off by forced volunteerism, decides not to volunteer through the remainder of their lives?

America is a country that has a very strong history of volunteerism. Not sure why this is even needed, or why we would want to risk that culture by making volunteerism into something ugly during formative years. Canada has a similar history, and is taking the same risk.

Why?

 

[Imagineer7]

How many of the volunteers are forced labor? Forced labor without compensation = indentured servitude, at the very least.

Tell me, where are you going to get your volunteers after this generation of kids graduates and, because they have become turned off by forced volunteerism, decides not to volunteer through the remainder of their lives?

America is a country that has a very strong history of volunteerism. Not sure why this is even needed, or why we would want to risk that culture by making volunteerism into something ugly during formative years. Canada has a similar history, and is taking the same risk.

Why?

Because young kids today are spoiled and need to learn what "giving back" means.

 

[mommyrosa2]

It is a requirement at the high school in our town...they started this a few years back. While I've heard a few negative comments from some parents & students, the majority in our town really didn't seem phased by it. In our family, we've always taught & encouraged our kids to give back since they were really young from volunteering their time to help others, to donating new and gently used toys & clothes, etc. My oldest DD completed her requirement by her sophmore year and didn't think much of it since performing community service was nothing new to her.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Because young kids today are spoiled and need to learn what "giving back" means.

Really? So this is going to help?

In the article that I linked it showed that 65% of Canadian children volunteer. Only 45% of their adults volunteer. Doesn't sound like a bunch of spoiled brats to me.

 

[Imagineer7]

Really? So this is going to help?

In the article that I linked it showed that 65% of Canadian children volunteer. Only 45% of their adults volunteer. Doesn't sound like a bunch of spoiled brats to me.

The U.S. is a much different place than Canada (a country who actually has their healthcare system figured out).

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

The U.S. is a much different place than Canada (a country who actually has their healthcare system figured out).

So, American children are spoiled and need to be forced into endentured servitude to change their ways? This is going to help in some way?

If you are right about them being spoiled (and I don't think that you are), this will only make them rebel against the very thing that you want them to embrace. You understand that, right?

Such is the nature of the teen mind.

 

[Imagineer7]

So, American children are spoiled and need to be forced into endentured servitude to change their ways? This is going to help in some way?

If you are right about them being spoiled (and I don't think that you are), this will only make them rebel against the very thing that you want them to embrace. You understand that, right?

Such is the nature of the teen mind.

Or they will see how much their contributions mean to less fortunate people and will be inspired. If they just simply look at it as a requirement that needs to be completed instead of something that helps society, well I'm sad for our country then.

 

[Planogirl]

Or they will see how much their contributions mean to less fortunate people and will be inspired. If they just simply look at it as a requirement that needs to be completed instead of something that helps society, well I'm sad for our country then.

I think that many kids will look at this as just a requirement like taking a language or art. I see nothing noble about forced volunteerism.

 

[Imagineer7]

I think that many kids will look at this as just a requirement like taking a language or art. I see nothing noble about forced volunteerism.

Well not everything in life can be a Disney vacation.

 

[stauncie]

Our public school implemented a new "sel" requirement. Oldest DD was the first class to have the requirement. It started as a one semember class as freshman. Then actual community projects as sophomores (completed as a class and during school hours) and as juniors. However as seniors, they weren't able to just go work at the local animal shelter or volunteer hours at the public library. They were required to find a need not being met, come up with a way to meet that need; fundraise to cover all costs associated with the project, and submit a project booklet along the way outlining each step and that also included a 'reflection' at the end.

If they did not complete 30 hours (all of which could not be completed during school hours) they would not graduate.

So, the 60+ hours she volunteered all summer at the library did not count, as the summer program already existed.

I applaud the concept, but by the end of the project not 1 of the students felt like they had 'volunteered': it was just another school project.

There was quite a bit in equality in the scope of some of the projects. Some of the students worked well beyond the required hours, while some 'padded' their totals just to make the 30.

Of course, if you are a class officer, a member of NHS, or other groups, they each also have a community service requirement, and NONE of the hours can be counted for more than once.

All said and done, some Seniors were "required" to volunteer over 60 hours.
It is just too much!