Dear Principal,

I am a concerned student body member of your school. I have heard that you are debating whether or not to make it mandatory that all students perform community service acts. I personally do community service, and I would like to weigh in on the opinion. I have to go against it, not because it isn't right, but because it is unfair. I think that if you maybe offer the choice for students to work community service hours and offer extra credit towards school in return then you will be more fair.

To demand students to attend community service after school hours is outrageous. This would be unfair because you do not know what is going on in their life at that time. Someone in their family can be sick and in the hospital or maybe they have to attend a family meeting that they committed to. Whatever the case this would be unfair to them. I think that to some students this would be like detention because of the required after school hours, and having to come would be mandatory.

A suggestion would be to force the ones in detention to do community service. This would make them feel bad about what they did, and you could help clean up the school by having them pick up trash. Even though they would be doing community service, they would also be doing good for the community or our school. If others feel that they want to stay after to help with community service then maybe you could offer extra credit in return.

As I mentioned before, I myself perform acts of community service. I would not like to be recognized and one of your students who has to do community service. I would instead like to be recognized as one of you students who wants to do service. I like the sense of accomplishment when I help someone get something done, and you forcing me to do it would completely take that away. I would rather choose to do community service than have you make me.

I can get what you are trying to say when you want us to all do community service. It would give our school a good reputation, and would make you feel better. Some students might be up for the challenge, but others won't come or wouldn't do a good job. I think that is almost cruel to force children to work. Even if it is for the good of the community. Like I said before, some children may not have the time to stay after school and do work because of issues at home. Maybe a good alternative would be to let kids do work around school durring the school day instead of after school.