Should Students be required to perform "Community Service"?

[I loveStitchnippyjon]

Volunteer = voluntary.

It should be the school's duty to educate, period. They need to stop meddling in the students' lives outside of school. That time would be better spent on teaching math, science, and English.

 

[NHdisneylover]

i say no.


i did a year as an americorps vista, and still volunteer regularly. however, making people do it - doesn't sit well with me.


they should want to do it.

I don't see it as much different than "making" my daughter take gym (which she hates) or "making" my son's get up so early when he is naturally inclined to be a night person (even when he was a little kid) and "making" him do language arts. Schools regularly "make" kids do things they do not care to do in the name of educating them to be good citizens in the future. Gym class helps them learn to be healthy and develop a habit of physical exercise, start times help them learn to get up and get going on the schedule most of the work world follows (or at least to deal with a schedule you did not set), various academics help them learn the academic skills to help them succeed in business or college, do their taxes, etc. Service hours requirements can help kids learn valuable skills which can later be used to find and complete paid work, and maybe help them develop a habit of giving back.

Volunteer = voluntary.

You are not the only poster who used the term "volunteer" but yours was the shortest post to quote They are SERVICE hours (as in, must service the community free of charge) not VOLUNTEER hours (as in must want to service the community free of charge and then do so).

 

[minniebeth]

Nope! My daughters do a lot of volunteering with girl scouts.. To force it on them to graduate high school is ridiculous. I think for those who were against it forcing them to do so will put them off as adults volunteering in the future.

I'm sure your girls will continue to have a service oriented frame of reference for years to come, thanks to Girl Scouts and the excellent model that you have provided for them. Not all students have that advantage.
You know from Girl Scouts, community service/volunteerism creates self-esteem in students and makes the world/communities a better place...why wouldn't you want that for all high school students?

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I say no also.

Once it is required, it is no longer volunteer.

My kids were in middle school when it became a graduation requirement in Maryland. They would have volunteered anyway in scouts, church, etc. I did not want to see it as a requirement. They have school employees who do nothing but administer the programs. I would rather see teachers.

 

[Poohforyou]

I don't think it should be a requirement because then it doesn't come from a place of wanting to help people but of fulfulling a requirement. I think it would be nice if schools offered it as an elective. To require it puts a lot of strain on volunteer organizations who have to deal with kids that don't want to be there and don't pull their weight.

Personally my child already does a lot of volunteer work because I am very involved in community outreach and she's been tagging along for years.

 

[PirateSnowmen]

In my high school it was optional. If you had so many service hours when you graduated, you got to wear a special medal at graduation. I don't think it should be forced though. I can honestly say that had service hours been required to graduate, my graduating class would have been much smaller.

 

[mamacatnv]

Since NHDisneylover brought it up
What is the difference between service hours and volunteering and OP what was your thought in your post?

I've never heard the term "service", here in my area it is always called volunteering.
Is there really a difference and if so, what is it?

If the school puts an "hours" requirement on the duty then a child is being forced to trade their time for the requirement in order to receive their diploma. Unless this occurs during the school day at a facility/location provided by the school then IMO they should not mandate it.

The school is saying a child must do something for nothing outside of the school day/classroom/homework scope etc. IMO this is not like gym class, a school provides a teacher, a track/gym in order for a student to partake of gym class. Does the school provide the ways/means/transportation/supervision etc. for a "service" requirement and is it done during the normal school day like gym would be?

 

[Teresa Pitman]

Here's what I don't like about it, as someone who has worked for non-profit organizations that had a lot of students applying to volunteer so they could get their required hours: it can be a huge pain for the organization! Yes, you get some students who are enthusiastic and really contribute. But you also get some who don't really want to do it, who are less than kind and pleasant to the people they are working with, who don't do what they've been assigned to do but instead spend their time talking on the phone to their friends AND then want you to sign off that they completed their hours (well, they were THERE so that should count, in their minds). Meanwhile, you now have to either do the work yourself or find and train another volunteer.

Yes, I think volunteering and community service are valuable. But it is not fair to put already stretched organizations who are trying to help people and animals in the situation of dealing with reluctant students who don't actually want to help but need the hours.

Teresa

 

[jrmasm]

Since NHDisneylover brought it up
What is the difference between service hours and volunteering and OP what was your thought in your post? I've never heard the term "service", here in my area it is always called volunteering.
Is there really a difference and if so, what is it?

If the school puts an "hours" requirement on the duty then a child is being forced to trade their time for the requirement in order to receive their diploma. Unless this occurs during the school day at a facility/location provided by the school then IMO they should not mandate it.

The school is saying a child must do something for nothing outside of the school day/classroom/homework scope etc. IMO this is not like gym class, a school provides a teacher, a track/gym in order for a student to partake of gym class. Does the school provide the ways/means/transportation/supervision etc. for a "service" requirement and is it done during the normal school day like gym would be?

Service Hours = forced volunteering

 

[aprilgail2]

i say no.


i did a year as an americorps vista, and still volunteer regularly. however, making people do it - doesn't sit well with me.


they should want to do it.

I agree----those of you that don't see a problem with it have never had to work at a charity and have cranky teenagers forced to do something they don't want to do work with you!! I would rather just sign their papers and have them leave without doing anything than to have to deal with the attitudes on some of them for hours on end! You can only take so much of them sitting there texting on their cell phones or just sitting there doing nothing!! Please---keep your kids home if they don't want to volunteer---its sure not doing the place they are volunteer at any good to have to deal with them!

 

[diz8297]

Our state requires "community service hours" and frankly, as the mother of a Junior in HS, I kinda resent it. My son is a "good kid" and while I certainly don't think these hours are hurting him at all, I find that it is just one more area where the school is medling in our lives and making things more difficult. This summer he is volunteering at a soup kitchen one afternoon a week. I think it's wonderful, but thank goodness for the angels from our church who are providing the transportation. Both my husband and I work full time, I have a side business, we have another child, and my elderly mother lives with us. Between the kids' schedules, and our lives, I don't need one more thing to have to fit in!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think it should be mandatory, but I like the communities/schools that recognize volunteerism at graduation!

 

[mamacatnv]

Service Hours = forced volunteering

I agree but since a difference was brought up I was looking for clarification and I was looking for the OP to clarify if in others minds there is a difference.

 

[jrmasm]

I agree but since a difference was brought up I was looking for clarification and I was looking for the OP to clarify if in others minds there is a difference.

But I don't think there is a difference. That was my point. I think the idea that there is a difference is total b.s.

Now that my rant is over, I have no idea what the OP intended.

 

[miralys]

I say no, not required, but should be encouraged and rewarded. I have learned a great deal about myself, others and the world at large while doing community service.

 

[donalducky]

It should be the school's duty to educate, period. They need to stop meddling in the students' lives outside of school. That time would be better spent on teaching math, science, and English.

This

 

[golfgal]

I think, like everything else in life, that volunteering is something that needs to be "taught". If someone goes through life having never been exposed to the value of volunteering, it is highly unlikely they will do this as adults. I see nothing wrong with requiring some service hours of kids to teach this valuable life long skill.

 

[golfgal]

Our state requires "community service hours" and frankly, as the mother of a Junior in HS, I kinda resent it. My son is a "good kid" and while I certainly don't think these hours are hurting him at all, I find that it is just one more area where the school is medling in our lives and making things more difficult. This summer he is volunteering at a soup kitchen one afternoon a week. I think it's wonderful, but thank goodness for the angels from our church who are providing the transportation. Both my husband and I work full time, I have a side business, we have another child, and my elderly mother lives with us. Between the kids' schedules, and our lives, I don't need one more thing to have to fit in!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think it should be mandatory, but I like the communities/schools that recognize volunteerism at graduation!

Volunteering doesn't have to be this huge complicated process where they have to "go somewhere" to volunteer. How about volunteering for the neighbor down the street to rake leaves in the fall, or babysit for the single mother in the neighborhood or heck, volunteer to help Grandma go to the grocery store or sit with her when she goes to doctor's appointments. Our kids have to do service hours for church and school (they can count them for both). At church they have to break them up into family, community and church. Our kids have done things for family like help Grandma get ready for a charity bake sale, babysit for free for family members, help Grandparents move, etc.

 

[Disney Ella]

Here's what I don't like about it, as someone who has worked for non-profit organizations that had a lot of students applying to volunteer so they could get their required hours: it can be a huge pain for the organization! Yes, you get some students who are enthusiastic and really contribute. But you also get some who don't really want to do it, who are less than kind and pleasant to the people they are working with, who don't do what they've been assigned to do but instead spend their time talking on the phone to their friends AND then want you to sign off that they completed their hours (well, they were THERE so that should count, in their minds). Meanwhile, you now have to either do the work yourself or find and train another volunteer.

I also work at a non-profit and we have the same problem. Maybe a small percentage of these kids will discover that they really enjoy volunteering, but most people who are forced to do something will develop a resentment toward whatever they are forced to do. That doesn't translate into long-term volunteers for us.

 

[nealymouse]

My daughters had to do it and even if they though it was hard work I do know they all saw the rewards.

They each picked a field they had interest in. My oldest had to have 20 hrs my two younger ones had to have 60. They all had more then needed. (my youngest has two more yrs and is already over 70 hrs)

My two youngest volunteered at a wild animal rescue. I had to sign a waiver and be on site at all times but again so worth it. Seeing baby wild animals released back into the wild was something very rewarding.

I think all schools should do it.

 

[shortbun]

i say no.


i did a year as an americorps vista, and still volunteer regularly. however, making people do it - doesn't sit well with me.


they should want to do it.

Some people need to be taught to do it and learn why it's necessary. there are a lot of Americans sitting on their fannies, complaining but not doing a daggone thing.

I say YES, teach the children that they need to contribute. It's one of the most important things our children NEED to learn. Too many parents are neglecting this lesson. Heck, most kids don't even have chores at home to do.
And, before you get all hot and bothered, I KNOW ALL DIS children do chores, lol!