Service hours in High School

[Halofan48]

This is something High School in my area do, and I find it somewhat annoying. Basically, in order to graduate, we need to finish 40 hours of community service, where we do something that benefits the community for free basically, and we need to do it for 40 hours. Though it sounds relatively easy, it can be difficult.
1. there aren't many ways to make the hours
2. With the amount of homework given, it can be difficult to set aside time.

So, do you think community service hours should be a requirement in order to graduate high school?

[gela]

If it doesn't aid in education; then it shouldn't affect your graduation.

[Jack]

It seems a little odd. Are they hoping to instill a sense of community service in the students (I doubt this is all that effective at instilling something if it isn't there already) or are they just trying to get the community some free labor? In that case, petition to have prisoners do your time.

[Halofan48]

I'm not really sure, maybe both.

[Jack]

I'm with gela. If it isn't directly educational (and community service isn't) it doesn't belong being a part of the curriculum.

[Halofan48]

I've heard them say "oh, but you can learn how to do certain tasks". I think it's silly. So far i have 9 hours toward my 40. I basically directed traffic to a electronic waste event. Didn't learn crap, and had leg pains for the rest of the day.

[gela]

If they want you to learn about working, they should do work placement or work experience.

You go and volunteer at the career your aiming at.

Thats what I did.

[Milton Bradley]

Students should not be required to do community service to graduate.


However, it seems the way things are destined to be with all the Liberal guilt, and political correctness floating around.

[Halofan48]

That's too expensive. And since the school budget here SUCKS because people cry and moan over taxes so much that they start losing funding. It sucks.

[Milton Bradley]

Quote by: gela If they want you to learn about working, they should do work placement or work experience. You go and volunteer at the career your aiming at. Thats what I did.

I also participated in such an endeavor, which was charitable, and not paid for by the Board of Education. It was an experimental program in the US back in the 70's, and early 80's.


The program doesn't seem to have done me much good personally, other than spare me much of the State indoctrination many of my contemporaries suffered.

[gela]

Well.. it let me have a look at what I was getting myself into.

Its all well and good to say you want to do something as a career; but we really have no idea what the day to day work in that job is like.

[Chaossaber314]

How much of what is taught in high-school actually has any real educational benefit?

[Gods_Mercenary]

Granted, most of the curriculum won't apply in your career (unless you're some rennaissance man) it's because colleges require it, so when looked at from that perspective, community service is another edge in the college process.

[Technosoul]

Mandatory community service should be a violation to the child labor laws.

However it can teach children about working together as a community, which might be seen as a way to implant "social values".

For example: a class might go down and clean up a beach so that all the trash and litter is removed. And experience the pride and the knowledge that we can make our envirnment a better place though organized projects like that.

[Gods_Mercenary]

In that case, homework violates child labor laws, forcing children to do something is not in itself wrong, otherwise most wouldn' go to school.

[JaneDoe321]

I think the idea behind this is to attempt to instill a sense of "responsibility to something outside oneself."

I don't think it's all that effective en masse. I think there are kids who find that charity work is fulfilling, but they most likely would have found this out anyway. I also think this is unfairly biased towards kids who attend church since many youth group activities count towards the hours so those kids have a built-in system to complete their mandated time.

[Anmon]

Just do it, your helping people.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: Gods_Mercenary In that case, homework violates child labor laws, forcing children to do something is not in itself wrong, otherwise most wouldn' go to school.

Schoolwork is not something you would otherwise pay someone to do, and it is for self-improvement and not to improve soceity per-say.

Homework should be banned. If a kid is in school for 6 hours or so that should be enough time to learn what they need to learn. You would not expect me to take home workplace work and do it on my own free time, we should not train kids to do that. It also puts a lot of the blame on parents if they get low marks at school. If we are going to have schools then it should be the total responsiblity of the school to do the teaching, taking that stress off of parents so they can do "family things" together.

Expecting teenagers to spend 12 hours a day to study stuff in order to get a passing grade is just not right, in my opinon. A clear line should be drawn between school time and private time. The parent or the child should have a free-will right to pursue education after school hours, or not to pursue those advantages, it should not be forced upon them by homework assignments. A open hour for study time should be incluced in the hours allowed for school time for the purpose of homework, at the school's study hall, or as a free will after school program supervisied by teachers or mentors who are willing to donate time for that purpose.

[Anmon]

Quote by: Technosoul Homework should be banned.

Agreed, especially for primary school kids, 30 hours of school is way enough.

[Milton Bradley]

Since community service can be contrued so widely, I suggest you burn down the county courthouse.


Now that's community service.