Volunteering In High School

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School boards have been debating if high schools should require community service hours before graduation. The two main points of view on the issue have been supporting the issue, or protesting it. The ones who oppose the idea do so because forcing students may cause them to see it as homework. The ones supporting the idea think students should experience the important lesson before graduation. Volunteering can be an important experience for students, but depending on the reasoning behind it could play more into it than the service at hand.

Requiring community service hours before graduation could be a smart idea. Or it could cause students to see the idea as homework. If students view it as homework rather than a selfless act, may cause them to develop a negative view on the idea. If a negative view is formed, it may cause them to never volunteer again, seeing it as work and not a generous task. If a negative view is formed before completing …show more content…

If they don’t give specifications on the task, many students may end up completing the same task. The same task, often being the easiest one they could find. Many would end up just choosing one to get it done, and not end up learning anything. Restrictions need to be put in place that limit the amount of students who can complete the same service. They also need a list of the services they can complete, or be specific about the services they can’t choose.

Community service can be an important lesson students should learn before leaving high school. It can help teach them compassion, forcing them to see things from a different point of view than their own. To complete the service, you must volunteer, making them see what it's like to give, receiving nothing in return. This may upset some, but can help them accept the idea. If they're able to get comfortable with the idea still in high school, they have longer to accept