Should Students be required to perform "Community Service"?

[tvguy]

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?

Well, those organizations do depend on the "forced labor" as you call it from the schools, churches and probation department. I can't give you a percentage. Only thing I can say, it there is one lady at the food bank who is 78 years old, she has been volunteering for over 60 years, she started because her Catholic High School required it.
So the requirement has been around for generations, and apparently hasn't created a backlash yet.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

First I'll answer the question, yes I feel that students should be required to do community service hours even in grammar and middle school, not just high school.

My children grew up in a school system where service hours were required every year. They have a lot of friends. Since they grew up with the requirement, none of them felt that volunteering was forced. Many did way more hours than required. A high majority still volunteer even though they have graduated.

I never knew we lived in such a bubble community. I'll take our school districts over the one's described here on the Dis where parents/students feel volunteering is a forced action if it is a requirement.

 

[OceanAnnie]

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.

I agree.

This thread has been enlightening.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I've dealt with a lot of court mandated volunteers, students, etc. I have found that most people come in with decent attitudes and enjoy doing something nice for whichever population, women, children or homeless. For as much theoretical you throw out real life says that kids are good at heart and like helping.

A person who doesn't ever volunteer again because they were forced to volunteer wouldn't have anyway. They are just not the kind of people that volunteer in the first place.

 

[aprilgail2]

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.

!

OMG- I am SO glad that isn't how it is here! I can just imagine being hit up for 20+ seniors fundraisers to help pay for their projects! Can you just see your child and every classmate trying to raise funds-they are all going to be hitting up the same people, classmates parents etc. At least when I get hit up for Eagle scout projects they are not in big groups each year--its one a year or every 2 years that are looking for donations for their projects!

 

[Charade]

First I'll answer the question, yes I feel that students should be required to do community service hours even in grammar and middle school, not just high school.

My children grew up in a school system where service hours were required every year. They have a lot of friends. Since they grew up with the requirement, none of them felt that volunteering was forced. Many did way more hours than required. A high majority still volunteer even though they have graduated.

I never knew we lived in such a bubble community. I'll take our school districts over the one's described here on the Dis where parents/students feel volunteering is a forced action if it is a requirement.

Requiring someone to volunteer *is* forced action. Community service is often used as part of a criminal sentence (just ask Lindsay Lohan!). It's supposed to "repay" society for the actions of the offender. If requiring someone to volunteer isn't a "forced action", what would you call it? Now I'm not trying to equate the education system with the justice system but the idea of requiring someone to volunteer community service is a forced action whether it be for graduation or as part of a criminal sentence and the benefit from each is supposed to be the same (make the person more aware of the need to help society). It's social engineering by the government. I have no problem with the schools offering the program for extra credit but it shouldn't be mandated and required to graduate.

 

[declansdad]

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.

Of course organizations rely on volunteers but you are missing the point. If you force students into volunteering, the chances are that a vast majority of them will be resentful and do little or nothing for the organization other than put in their time. (Others have given examples of this on this thread.) If an organizations recruits volunteers or has them come to them on their own, the chances are the volunteers will want to be there and actally contribute to the organization.

 

[declansdad]

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.

But they all won't want to volunteer. Why is this so hard to grasp??

 

[Rora]

I have no problem with it (I did it). But I don't think that making kids do community service in high school will encourage most students to continue with the community service after the requirements have been met or later in life.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

If you do a google search on the subject you will find that the people most concerned about this are the people who run the institutions that rely upon volunteers to survive. All of the people who were expressing those concerns in the articles that I linked were such individuals.

This is not a political debate. No left vs. right here. It is about destroying the spirit of volunteerism by forcing it on our youth - people without a vote, who are known for one thing above all else - rebellion.

 

[Bunnyfeather]

I see no problem with requiring volunteer hours for graduation. School requires a lot of things that kids may not want to do, that set good habits for adulthood. If every school does it, then the bitterness will not be a factor because it will be a shared experience for all youth.

Exercise is something people should do because it is healthy, but I was forced to earn PE credits to graduate. We should learn history for the good of our community, but we don't get to opt out of history class.

My high school was a magnet and had a LOT of requirements. I had to do community service and public speaking and swimming and a project that improved the school and a class in computer programming to graduate. I just really don't see any harm in making education a bit more rounded.

 

[Pigeon]

Exercise is something people should do because it is healthy, but I was forced to earn PE credits to graduate. We should learn history for the good of our community, but we don't get to opt out of history class.

Taking PE and history are not relevant. PE and history class are done during the school day. Families are not expected to provide transportation to other locations and use family time to do so. PE and history are not an extension of school hours into family time.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

Taking PE and history are not relevant. PE and history class are done during the school day. Families are not expected to provide transportation to other locations and use family time to do so. PE and history are not an extension of school hours into family time.

To expound upon that thought, PE was included in our curricula strictly for the benefit of the child, not for the benefit of the community at large. School is meant to educate, not enslave. We want to open their minds - teach them to think for themselves - not brainwash them.

 

[luvmy3]

I see no problem with requiring volunteer hours for graduation. School requires a lot of things that kids may not want to do, that set good habits for adulthood. If every school does it, then the bitterness will not be a factor because it will be a shared experience for all youth.

Exercise is something people should do because it is healthy, but I was forced to earn PE credits to graduate. We should learn history for the good of our community, but we don't get to opt out of history class.

My high school was a magnet and had a LOT of requirements. I had to do community service and public speaking and swimming and a project that improved the school and a class in computer programming to graduate. I just really don't see any harm in making education a bit more rounded.

The harm comes when that "well rounded" education oversteps what the schools are resonsible for. Forcing students to perform community service on their own time in order to get a diploma, especially if those students have met all the required academic credits, is crossing that line. You can teach the merits of community service and volunteerism in the classroom to provide a well rounded education, forcing them to participate goes too far and shouldn't be up to the schools to do.

 

[GinnyEmma]

If you do a google search on the subject you will find that the people most concerned about this are the people who run the institutions that rely upon volunteers to survive. All of the people who were expressing those concerns in the articles that I linked were such individuals.

This is not a political debate. No left vs. right here. It is about destroying the spirit of volunteerism by forcing it on our youth - people without a vote, who are known for one thing above all else - rebellion.

That is like saying you ruin the spirit of enjoying literature by making students read.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

Requiring someone to volunteer *is* forced action. Community service is often used as part of a criminal sentence (just ask Lindsay Lohan!). It's supposed to "repay" society for the actions of the offender. If requiring someone to volunteer isn't a "forced action", what would you call it? Now I'm not trying to equate the education system with the justice system but the idea of requiring someone to volunteer community service is a forced action whether it be for graduation or as part of a criminal sentence and the benefit from each is supposed to be the same (make the person more aware of the need to help society). It's social engineering by the government. I have no problem with the schools offering the program for extra credit but it shouldn't be mandated and required to graduate.

You disagree with me, and I with you. The world will still turn today. I respect your feelings and thoughts on the situation, actually everyone has a reason to believe what that would like. That is why I chose not to originally quote anyone with different views on the situation, since their views are just as important as mine.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

"Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it wasn't:

"Ask not what your country can do for you, we are going to make you do for your country."

 

[mommycrawford]

Volunteering in an interest area can open students up to job opportunities. I will guess that schools partially include volunteering at outside organizations so that they can get a taste of their world beyond school.

Since not all children have the opportunity to go to college, this exposure can be very important so that students think beyond mall jobs and minimum wage jobs that they would likely consider as perhaps all they are qualified for.

As for cost of transportation/cutting into family time, I do think that the school should arrange for this to be covered, and should allocate time in the school day to fulfill a school requirement (with a few additional hours possible depending on the placement.)

 

[FlightlessDuck]

That is like saying you ruin the spirit of enjoying literature by making students read.

Which happens a lot.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Which happens a lot.

I disagree. You can blame that kind of thing or accept responsibility for your choices. It is a cop out.