Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Unless they were forcing students to volunteer for a particular party's political campaign, its a good thing. People need to learn at some point that the world is greater than just them and get out there and help people. Mind you, volunteer work isn't always just working at a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen. Technically, you could teach people how to windsurf and that would be volunteering (of course, if you did it for no pay) :P
Unless they were forcing students to volunteer for a particular party's political campaign, its a good thing. People need to learn at some point that the world is greater than just them and get out there and help people. Mind you, volunteer work isn't always just working at a homeless shelter or a soup kitchen. Technically, you could teach people how to windsurf and that would be volunteering (of course, if you did it for no pay) :P
Funny thing about political campaigns, our students were encouraged to volunteer for them and after they did and the hours were turned in MSDE declared the hours wouldn't count. They withdrew that after a lot of complaints.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
26,688 posts, read 41,593,260 times
Reputation: 41318
I would like to ask those who support this how many hours a year they volunteer or better yet when was the last time they volunteered? Church activites don't count.
My local high school is making 40 hours of community service a prerequisite to graduation.
Is this pushing a political agenda on the students?
Will this make people a bit less greedy and more compassionate?
Is a school's duty to turn out well rounded citizens or merely educated ones?
What are your thoughts?
The point of "service" is that you do it freely and willingly as a good person who supports and believes in you community. The moment someone makes it a requirement, the purpose is defeated and it becomes servitude.
So rebel and don't do it for the school, do it for the community.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,971,174 times
Reputation: 36027
Quote:
Originally Posted by tippinturtle
40 hours is not much. While I'm sure the students will moan about it, I think it'll be good for them in the long run. More people need to get out there & volunteer, myself included. I'm not sure where the political angle comes from though, I don't consider volunteering political in nature.
I remembered the community service requirement I had to do in high school (Catholic school in the 1990's) and, although I was dead set against the idea originally, I found the experience to be positive one where I got to help individuals. As stated previously, it also enhances the student's resumes so it is a blessing in disguise.
If I had kids, I would love it if their school had the forethought of trying to make good citizens out of these kids in every possible way. Volunteering 40 hours is hardly going to break these kids' backs. It encourages good actions in the community when they are exposed to something like this. Would I cry foul and say my kids are being abused by the system and have become indentured servants or slaves? No way! Too much spoiling of children is the reason a lot of kids and adults nowadays think the world owes them something, while they refuse to give anything back.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,971,174 times
Reputation: 36027
Quote:
Originally Posted by temptation001
If I had kids, I would love it if their school had the forethought of trying to make good citizens out of these kids in every possible way. Volunteering 40 hours is hardly going to break these kids' backs. It encourages good actions in the community when they are exposed to something like this. Would I cry foul and say my kids are being abused by the system and have become indentured servants or slaves? No way! Too much spoiling of children is the reason a lot of kids and adults nowadays think the world owes them something, while they refuse to give anything back.
If I had kids, I would love it if their school had the forethought of trying to make good citizens out of these kids in every possible way. Volunteering 40 hours is hardly going to break these kids' backs. It encourages good actions in the community when they are exposed to something like this. Would I cry foul and say my kids are being abused by the system and have become indentured servants or slaves? No way! Too much spoiling of children is the reason a lot of kids and adults nowadays think the world owes them something, while they refuse to give anything back.
Instead of dumping it on the school why wouldn't you as the parent have your kid(s) do the volunteering?
And, again, 40 hours of mandated volunteerism isn't going to enhance anyone's resume. If everyone has to do it it's not an enhancement, Now if the kid continues with it and gets a few hundred hours then it would be an enhancement.
Location: The Chatterdome in La La Land, CaliFUNia
39,031 posts, read 22,971,174 times
Reputation: 36027
Quote:
Originally Posted by North Beach Person
Instead of dumping it on the school why wouldn't you as the parent have your kid(s) do the volunteering?
Many parents don't push their children to volunteer and the teenagers wind up missing out on a valuable way of developing character and resume building skills.
Many parents don't push their children to volunteer and the teenagers wind up missing out on a valuable way of developing character and resume building skills.
Many parents don't teach their kids table manners, to say please and thank you, to use a kleenex or about birth control either.
For the kids of those parents the mandated volunteerism wil leave zero impression. It's just one more check mark to fill in on the graduation requirements.
And I'm sorry, if your kid hasn't developed a positive character by the time I get him at 14 or so nothing I do, or any school required volunteering does, is going to help.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
