Did you know that only about 50% of students participate in extracurricular activities at their school? This includes sports, clubs, and tutoring. Many of the students still engage in activities, just not through a school program. I don't think it should be mandatory to participate in a school activity because it steals time away from homework, it could conflict with other activities, and going home after school to unwind is good for student's mental health.

Most of our activities last another hour and a half after school lets out. That leaves a lot less time for homework to be completed on time. I often find myself struggling to finish my assignments on days when I must stay after school or have prior obligations. Homework may not be a large amount of our grade now, but it will build up over time. If the principal issues mandatory after-school programs, a decrease in grades may be noticeable.

Another reason to not force students into clubs is that is may conflict with other things on student's agendas. Plenty of students do sports that are not offered at our school. If they were forced to do a school activity, those students would most likely have no choice but to to quit their true interest. Teachers are always pushing students to express themselves in all sorts of way. Making students engage a school program limits individuality by placing a restraint on what they can participate in after school.

School can be a stressful enviroment for students, much like work is for an adult. Returning home to relax, after completing homework, is a positive way to recharge mental batteries before the next day. Studies show that stress has a large impact on student behavior. Having to stay at school an extra hour and a half can really start to take affect on student performance. One of my favorite parts of the day is being able to breath in the calming air of home or just having my muscles release their tension after all the tests at school. Students already suffer through seven tense hours in the school building a day, why make them stay there any longer?

Someone may argue that school clubs can make students more social and help them stay active. While some students are social butterflies, other choose to have a more reserved life style or are active in their own ways. Rather than force something upon students, let them choose what they want to do. Tons of homework, long personal schedules, and common stress are all valid reasons not to have extracurricular activities be mandatory.