One positive of having service hours required in school is that it makes you feel better. A study done by the United Health Group says, "That 76% of people who have volunteered in the past twelve months say that volunteering has made them feel happier, and 94% of people report that it improves their mood. 78% of volunteers say that it has lowered their stress levels."( Mary Ann Barge, prepscholar.com, 2018). During high school, students can experience lots of stress from school, extracurricular, or family issues. By helping others, they don't only help those in need, they help themselves. If more students were to volunteer, it would help them relieve stress, which would help them work better. By requiring service hours, it would allow students to help others, and help themselves.
A negative of having service hours required is that it ruins the experience and should be the students choice. A 1992 district court case showed this, "Steirer v. Bethlehem Are School District highlighted this dilemma when two students dedicated to their service work appealed to the court for their diplomas after refusing to put their volunteer hours toward the community service requirement."( Simrin Gupta/Claire Koenig, silverchips.mbhs.edu, 2011). The students in this case did community service on their own because they wanted to do it, and thought that is shouldn't matter to the school if they were required to. Even though the court ruled in favor of the school in this case, these kids did their service to help people, not graduate. If service hours are required, then it would make the overall feeling of good when doing the service lessen. Instead of doing it because they want to reach out and help, it is required for them to help which could make it feel like a chore.
I believe that service hours should be required. Helping give back to your community is always a good thing. It not only improves your mood and overall feeling, it gives you something to feel pride in. When doing your service, you're not only helping yourself, but you're helping others. You could be making that persons day, and helping them carry on through tough times. While it may take more time out of your day, helping others is an act of kindness. Maybe people think of it like a chore when it's required, but you're still helping people in need.
While serving in your community can be an overall great thing, it can also be horrible. After many students were forced to complete service hours they didn't see the true spirit behind it. It should be encouraged but shouldn't be required.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with your position on service hours because of what community service does for a person. Community service builds character and if it was required for everyone it wouldn't build that character in the same way. Community service is voluntary, it is for people who are trying to do good deeds out of the good of their heart and it should not be required for those who simply don't want to do it.
ReplyDeleteI believe that is should not be required or treated as a chore. Kids have jobs, after school programs, and chores at home. Community service should not be another task they must do. It should be left open as an opportunity when they have the free.
ReplyDeleteI disagree, I believe that students do not have time outside of school and their other activities to do community service. Many students don't get home until 4:30-5. These students then have to finish homework assignments, eat dinner, and get their 8 hours of sleep. Students may also feel forced to do community service, which causes students to not enjoy the activity.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, what's the point of voluntary service if you're making students do it. By forcing students to have a required amount of hours to graduate, it takes away from the purpose and it doesn't motivate students to actually go out and enjoy doing it on their own. Some students just don't have the time in their day to go out and volunteer when they're trying to juggle school, homework, sports, and even clubs. Even if they did have free time it should be a time where they can relax and just enjoy themselves for a while. Most students would just become irritated, annoyed, and not do the best they can when volunteering because they're only there because the school said they have to be. Also, by requiring students to have a certain amount of hours, it makes the students fear that they will not be able to graduate if they didn't get enough hours. If students wanted to make themselves feel better by volunteering on their own then let them do as they choose. Finally, volunteer service should not be required for high school students because they already have so much on their plate and adding required community service would only increase their stress.
ReplyDeleterequiring students to do community service to graduate makes no sense. it is like making children do slave work because the adults dont even want to do the work. pushing the work that you do not want to do onto children in order for them to graduate is just pointless unless the adults in the schools and community are required to do the same otherwise it is just unfair.
ReplyDeleteI don't think service hours should be required. I am only in 2 sports and don't take any AP classes that require a lot of my time. And I still dont have much time as it is. If I had required service hours I would be out of time.
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