How would you feel if your school district made you participate in an extracurricular activity? You may feel angry, or you may be exited. Some some students love being involved in fun activities like a sports team, or art club. Others have a good reason why they don't enjoy that experience. I believe that it's not fair to force students to participate in extracurricular activities because serious events at home may be taking up their time, they may have learning disabilities, and because it's another opportunity for bullying to occur.

Imagine that your mom is in the hospital, or your sister has anxiety and depression, and you want to spend time with them. Then your school district decides that everyone has to be involved in an after school program, and now you cant spend as much time with your loved one as a result of the time commitment. This is why I think it's important to let the students decide weather they want to do an extra activity or not. What if someone you where close with recently passed away, and you dont feel like doing extra activities? Than you wouldn't show up, and be marked absent. This is why I believe that we should not make students participate in after school activities.

Have you ever had a to finish work from school at home? This is unfortunately common for students with learning disabilities. If students with who spent a lot of time doing school work where involved with an after school activity, they may have no choice but to stay up late in the night doing homework. I myself have a mild learning disability, and its not uncommon for me to come home from school with unfinished school work that I have to finish by next class. It truly is unfair for the school district to force students to do extra activities which are supposed to be optional, and I hope they never do that in Fairfax County.

As many people know, bullying is a problem at many schools. Students hear the constant bickering, and teasing that often means that someone is getting bullied. This is another reason why I think that schools should not make their students participate in after school activities. Some students who get bullied at school laugh then so they don't appear a certain way to the people around them, when really they're holding back tears. After school is just another opportunity for a bully to strike, and a more welcoming opportunity at that. When you stay after school, their are less teachers and students around, making the bully more likely to act then. One day I hope that adults realize how difficult it can be to come to school and stay after to.

I think that students should not be required to stay after school because of serious events at home are more important, some students have learning disabilities, and after school is just another opportunity for bullying to occur. I hope that next time you find yourself requiring someone to stay after school, remember to listen to and consider the person you're requirings concerns.