Should Students be required to perform "Community Service"?

[declansdad]

There is no way writing a check to a community organization is going to teach students much of anything about civic responsibility. An appreciation for a parent spending money, like that, comes much later - unless you mean to impose a requirement that the student earn the money and then be forced to donate it. If so, I think you're going in the wrong direction - far more people will vociferously object to that.

If I have the choice between the volunteer who is going to do a poor job/nothing at all or a cheque, I'll take the cheque.

 

[NHdisneylover]

English and physical education have been part of the traditional educational curriculum for at least 40 years.

Community organizations can be supported in a variety of ways. Some can use volunteers (and yes, I'm going to continue to use that word) and find them valuable. They can almost always also use money. Sometimes money is way more important and useful to them than having extra bodies.

If the goal of this requirement is for students to be forced to become aware of the importance of supporting civic organizations, writing a check is just as valid a way to support the organizations as is spending hours at them.

I know at least two of my grandparents took civics classes well over 40 years ago (as did both of my parents about 40 years ago). It used to bother my grandmother that so many schools had dropped that requirement. Point being there is a historical precedent for civics type lessons as well--which is exactly what I think community service is

 

[luvmy3]

So what you're saying is that the school should provide the opportunities to work in a community setting, and that the community service should take place during school hours.

yes bicker, if the school is going to require student to volunteer (or perform community service if you prefer) thats what I'm saying.

I'm not sure how getting some of the cost of instruction covered by the community instead of coming out of my taxes is a bad thing.

Well, if this going to be a requirement for graduating under the guise of "teaching the value of community involvement, or charity work, or yada yada yada" then the funding for things like transportation, and whatever "education" they are receiving from the students being forced to perform community service should be coming from the tax money set aside for education.

That has already been shown to be a red-herring. No one would be required to volunteer. Students would be required to perform community service - not volunteer.

Oh, sorry, forced to do community service. Call it what you want, it means the same.

Their own time is time not spent on required activities. Students taking chorus, band, drama, etc. - for credit - are often absolutely required to attend evening recitals and performances. There is long and strong precedent.

But what you failed to mention is that students taking band, orchestra, chorus, drama are doing so by choice. They choose one of those things to fulfill their "music" credit, and therefore they choose to attend after school hour events. Or, they could take a general music class and not have to attend anything after school hours and still meet the requirements for graduation.

my responses are bolded.
Anyone know how to do color using google chrome?

 

[SpecialK]

Our district has a CS requirement and I'm not in favor of it. My son's most recent hours were spent at Home Depot, helping litlle ones make bird houses. How this teaches civic responsibility is beyond me. It's free labor for Home Depot.

 

[kathie859]

I agree with the posters who compare CS with Civics. Learning to give back and participate in one's community is something that has been lost over the years. I think that the parents who actively engage their children in service opportunities are in the minority. Not to be too dramatic, but so many of the younger generation is stuck with their noses in their smart phones, notepads, etc., that they are not interacting with others--let alone seeking out opportunities to be involved.

Civics and Community service teaches us that we are more than ourselves alone. And I think students need to learn that.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

my responses are bolded.
Anyone know how to do color using google chrome?

No different than any other browser.

Use the Font color icon in the tools menu right about the textbox you are typing your message, or use the actual code:

(open square bracket)COLOR="Red"(close square bracket)blah blah blah(open squal bracket)/COLOR(close square bracket)

 

[TDC Nala]

I am not for a government (i.e. public school) absolutely requiring anyone to "give back to their community." to interact with anyone they do not wish to interact with, or get involved with anything with which they do not wish to be involved. That goes for kids too.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I've worked with a lot of mandated volunteers, and students. I dont think I've ever had anyone be nasty or crabby. Some were lazy but I've had lazy volunteers who actually were volunteers... Most people like helping others.

 

[NHdisneylover]

I am not for a government (i.e. public school) absolutely requiring anyone to "give back to their community." to interact with anyone they do not wish to interact with, or get involved with anything with which they do not wish to be involved. That goes for kids too.

So, kids should not have to be involved with "school" in general then if they (or their parents) do not want to be? (I mean do not care about an education at all--not homeschooling).

 

[luvmy3]

No different than any other browser.

Use the Font color icon in the tools menu right about the textbox you are typing your message, or use the actual code:

For some reason when I switched from IE to chrome it doesn't drop down the color choices anymore. Thanks anyway, I'll try the code.

 

[NotUrsula]

IME, required "Civics" classes in school were never about anything other than American Government. (Darned if I know why they ever called it Civics, except that I suppose it was considered preparation for becoming an informed voter.)

I distinctly remember that in my state Civics wasn't mandatory until the year before I entered HS, when it became a required Freshman class. Apparently it had been required in the 1950's, but had been dropped during the Kennedy administration in favor of PE. That was in the mid-1970's, but somewhere along the line since then it got dropped again. (A few years ago I considered getting certified to teach American Gov't, which is when I discovered that as a HS class it is an endangered species.)

 

[TDC Nala]

I should have said outside of their scheduled schooltime. Obviously they have to go to school but the school (government) shouldn't be telling them what to do with their spare time outside of lessons or dictating who they should be interacting with. I'm for extra credit for volunteering but not community service requirements.

 

[luvmy3]

IME, required "Civics" classes in school were never about anything other than American Government. (Darned if I know why they ever called it Civics, except that I suppose it was considered preparation for becoming an informed voter.)

I took civics in HS and thats exactly what it was.

 

[kathie859]

I took civics in HS and thats exactly what it was.

The definition of CIVICS is the branch of political science that deals with the rights and DUTIES of citizens. IMHO, service to the community is a duty of us all---we should be contributing members of society not dead weight.

 

[NHdisneylover]

For some reason when I switched from IE to chrome it doesn't drop down the color choices anymore. Thanks anyway, I'll try the code.

Odd I have google chrome and they are there for me. good luck finding the codes

I should have said outside of their scheduled schooltime. Obviously they have to go to school but the school (government) shouldn't be telling them what to do with their spare time outside of lessons or dictating who they should be interacting with. I'm for extra credit for volunteering but not community service requirements.

ok--so if, for example, the official legal amount of school time required for your child's distrcit for high school was 180 days of 6 or more hours in school PLUS 40 hours per year of approved community service, would that work for you?

And from what you say I take it you do not feel it is okay to assign homework? Especially group projects which require interacting with others outside of school hours?

For all of those who have issues with the timing/scheduling/transportation issue, how about this? Most schools have several teacher in-service days. If the districts allowed students who could not arrange other service work to work at various district schools doing lawn maintenance, painting, etc (supervised by custodial staff and only signed off if they worked well and did not slack--as should always be the case) and if they even provided bus service to those who normally needed it--would THAT make a community service requirement acceptable to you?

 

[wvjules]

To those that think it should be a requirement, do you require your kids to do it even if the school doesn't?

Or those that schools do require it, would you force your kids to do it even if the school didn't?

 

[luvmy3]

The definition of CIVICS is the branch of political science that deals with the rights and DUTIES of citizens. IMHO, service to the community is a duty of us all---we should be contributing members of society not dead weight.

You can educate students on the rights and duties of citizenship in the classroom, that and only that is what the school should be responsible for. It is up to parents and the students themselves if they want to use that education and be something other than "dead weight".
FYI, I contribute plenty to society in the form of taxes so if I don't want my kids to perform community service I have that right.

 

[CurlyGirl]

To those that think it should be a requirement, do you require your kids to do it even if the school doesn't?

Or those that schools do require it, would you force your kids to do it even if the school didn't?

Yes. My high school didn't offer it and my parents required us to do community service. I will expect it of my children if their school does not require it.

 

[bombygriz]

Our district has a CS requirement and I'm not in favor of it. My son's most recent hours were spent at Home Depot, helping litlle ones make bird houses. How this teaches civic responsibility is beyond me. It's free labor for Home Depot.

I love it, we all have to work!

Our school's requirement is 48 hours. There are no recommendations, and each job is at the mercy of the school approving it. Sometimes, people who need work done call the school and it is announced over the PA as a community service opportunity. I got all my hours (and then some) by acting in the middle school's plays...somehow that translated to 20 hours a piece, because we apparently 'mentored' the kids...worked for me! Don't worry, I do my fair share of volunteer work on my own time, and most of it goes undocumented. I think people who are giving and want to volunteer will do it, and forcing it down someone's throat is never going to change their feelings.

That being said, there are a good 10-15 seniors each year who have to stay back and take three classes a day (instead of the usual four) because they couldn't finish the requirement in 4 years and the summer before high school. Terrible, isn't it?

 

[NHdisneylover]

To those that think it should be a requirement, do you require your kids to do it even if the school doesn't?

Or those that schools do require it, would you force your kids to do it even if the school didn't?

I do not require my kids to, but I do set the example. DD14 has logged a large number of volunteer hours. DS12 not a lot but some.

Then agian, I do not require my kids to do math, or science or other academic work when school does not assign it either--but I think schools SHOULD assign those things and teach them