Prompt: Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs . To what extend do you agree or disagree ?

Whether unpaid community service should be a part of high school curriculum has been a topic of discussion these days. While I disagree that students should be forced to participate in such program, I do believe that they could benefit from doing unsalaried community service on a voluntary basis. Ċ The major reason I would argue against mandatory community service for secondary school students is that they are already overburdened with study on academic subjects. This new part would compete for the valuable class hours and affect their academic grade in a negative way. Furthermore, being in the rebellious stage of life, high school students tend to be reluctant to do obligatory work other than the core subjects. With poorly motivated participants, these well-intentioned programs are not likely to achieve the desired outcome. Ċ On the other hand, voluntary community activities are advantageous for young people to develop a spirit of compassion and engagement and other useful skills. By making the programs optional, school could ensure that only highly motivated students take part. They would feel a strong sense of fulfillment from the experience of helping people in need. Such experience, in turn, would boost their self-confidence and enhance their social abilities. Also, a period of voluntary activity experience on the resumes could improve their employment opportunities. For example, I once organized a fundraising event for children with leukemia when I was at high school, and that experience impressed my first employer and helped me land a well-paying job. Ċ In conclusion , I am against the idea of making community service mandatory , as it is more beneficial for teenagers to choose to take part in such program.