Dear Principal,

Community service, it does a lot of good. But, let me ask you this, if your students are required to have to participate in community service, and they are forced to do something they are not willing to do, does it really do as much good as if they chose to do it out of the kindness of their hearts?

Many of your students may already be doing community service, which is a wonderful thing. At the same time, many of your students may not be doing community service. That is their choice. If they would rather play basketball, or video games, or whatever they want to do instead of help out others, it should be their decision. As much as I believe community service is a good thing, you don't know what the students are doing instead of this. For all you know, they could be helping their families out at home, or getting active and playing sports, maybe even studying for their school work, If you take away their free time, you just may be causing negative effects on your students learning.

On the other hand, these young adults may be doing things that are irresponsible and foolish with their free time. They could be making wrong decisions, causing trouble, or they could even be making a mess of the environment. Which is where I see your point, community service is good for a young adult, but, if they wish to go out and have "fun", however they may pursue that to be, you should let them. They are your students, and are only your responsibility while they are at school for academic purposes. Let their parents teach them valuable life lessons on their own. Even if it means that these young adults may have to make some wrong decisions to realize which ones are right.

In my opinion, requiring your students to perform community service just does not seem appropriate. They are old enough to decide on what is wrong and what is right. If they make the wrong decision, they will learn a lesson. Many times like this will occur in a person's life. You need to just let them live, because life goes on. They will know what to do.

So hopefully after you have read this letter, you will consider the effects of requiring your students to do something unnecessary, that may or may not help our community. Or letting them decide for themselves, and letting them figure out what they should or should not be doing. Thank you.

Sincerely,

STUDENT_NAME