Mandatory community service doesn't make sense to me. Sure, I'm all for community service in general, but isn't 'mandatory community service' a bit of an oxymoron?
Forcing someone to volunteer is a good way to get something done, but it's not a good way to get something done well. For my senior year, I have to complete 25 hours of community service in order to pass various courses and, in turn, to graduate. It doesn't seen fair that I'm being forced to volunteer for the sake of my diploma.
And a bit of background information: I'm all for community service. I volunteer for many things, perhaps spreading myself thin sometimes, and actually enjoy it. Because I enjoy it, I put my all into it. Isn't that the kind of community service we want? Not someone just showing up and sluffing off because they HAVE to?
I'm open to arguments, clarifications, anything...
Peace, Love & Community Service
I agree with you. I've volunteered to the community many times and I love doing it. But some people are "forced" to do it and they don't seem to have passion...then they slack off and we don't get anything done, which is totally pathetic. I think schools make is mandatory in the hopes of getting their students involved and experienced in different activities...maybe it's a way for school to brag about themselves too of how many hours their students give back to the community. Who knows...
Exactly. It's a bit like a command economy in way, isn't it? In terms of the lack of initiative to do good work...
Personally, I like the idea of mandatory community service. It is an oxymoron, I'll admit, but it helps people realize that there is so much more that can be done and it helps you to build your character. That last part sounds cliche, but without volunteering I wouldn't have decided to become a doctor. I think it's a smart idea to force high school students to look at what needs to be done instead of what they want to do. If you want to do what needs to be done (volunteering for example) then huzzah for you, but several students don't even bother with it. It's an eye-opening experience.
Be the change you wish to see in the world.