In the Declaration of Independance, it is written that all men have certain rights, including the rights to "life, liberty, and the persuit of happiness."

If students were forced to participate in an extracurricular activity, two of those three rights would be taken away, at least for an afternoon or so.

Over the next three paragraphs, I will list the negatives of forcing students to do extracurricular activities, including that it takes away students freedom, they might not want to do it, and it could take away valuable time.

My first point is that it takes away freedom of the students.

People should be able to choose whether they want to do something.

If someone wanted to play soccer, but then the school was like "NO! You have to be on the student council instead!", then the school would be taking away their freedom to choose.

They also might not have enough time to do it.

If they already have a full schedule, then what?

Does the school force them to take something out?

And how do they enforce it?

If someone doesn't want to do an extracurricular activity, and realizes that forcing kids to do it is stupid, then how will the school make them?

They can't punish them.

It doesn't add up.

Students should be able to decide whether they do something like this or not, because America is built on freedom, and schools can't take that away.

Furthermore, the students might not want to do it.

If they wanted to play a sport, there is only limited slots on a team.

If they fail to make the team, then what?

Are they just told to pick another activity?

And also, the school might not offer what a student wants.

If a student loved anime and wanted a club, but there wasn't one, then don't force them to do something they don't want to do.

If they do force kids to do it, they should at least ask them what they would like to do, and if they don't have that, then create it.

And if they do force them to do something they don't like, someone could add a bad review on google.

Then, parents might decide they don't want their kids going to school there.

And if enough kids transfer, then the school might get shut down because they have no purpose to keep running.

Finally, it takes away valuable time.

Like I said in the first body paragraph, if they don't have enough time to do it, then what will the school do?

They can't force them to free up time, so the system is quite flawed.

Also, if a student has a pretty full schedule, and only has 1 free day, the school might take that away.

A couple of days in the week is fine to have things to do, but if you have something every single day, and only one day in a week that you are free, that is a valuable day.

Students need some days to unwind.

Plus, what if you had a lot of homework?

A conversation might go down like this:

The teacher said "Hey Richard, did you do your essay?

I didn't ever get it from you."

And then Richard said "No, I'm sorry, but I wasn't able to finish it.

Since the principal is making us do these extracurricular activities, I had to do a club, and I wasn't able to study for my massive quarter test in algebra and do my essay last night.

I will try to get it to you today."

That would be horrible for students, and could result in lower grades.

Students should not be forced to do extracurricular activities.

It takes away freedom from them, they may not want to do it, and it could take away valuable time, too.

I think that every person should be given a choice in what they do, and school or parents or whomever should not be allowed to choose for them.