Community Service as a Graduation Requirement

[BSP]

Hello Debaters/PGers,

At the school I am attending, every student must complete a minimun of 100 hrs. of community service over the course of their 4 high school years to recieve a diploma. Not meeting this requirement results in the student's diploma being withheld until he/she can complete this graduation requirement.

Now, I bring these questions to you: Is it right for a school to hold community service as a graduation requirement? Do you think it is right for schools to require more than satisfactory academic performance for the receiving of a diploma? Why? Does this required community service actually help the student?

What do you guys think about the above questions? If you have any to add, feel free to add them (or tell me so I can put them in this OP). As for my opinion:





First, I think it is the right of said Institution whether or not to require community service as a graduation requirement. You, the student, by enrolling into the school, and maybe signing a contract, have agreed to follow and uphold all the rules the school may decide to set. Therefore, if they have decided to require you to do community service, and you agreed to abide by their rules (you DID read the rulebook correct?), you should not have a problem with the service., and if you do, why did you enroll?


Now, on to my first question. I believe that the job of the school is not only to provide the student with the education they need to function in the world, but to also shape them to become active, participating adults in their community. It is the school's job to prepare the student for the world we live in, which can not be done by solely requiring them to perform well on some tests and get satisfactory grades. By only requiring that students aquire decent grades, how are you making sure that they are developing as people? How are they learning about the issues we face today, and what they could possibly do to help resolve them? If the goal of the school is to make well rounded individuals, that can survive on their own, they must have a way to expose them to the world outside of their homes and classrooms. Therefore, if they belive that the community service is the way to achieve this goal, it is their right and duty to make it a requirement for graduation.

For the second question, I do think school's can justify why they require more than acedemic satisfaction for distributing diplomas. Like I said in the previous paragraph: Making straight A's does not necessarily ensure that the student is developing the skills they need for adult hood. And again, it is the school's right to decide what is necessary to receive their diploma, and you, the student, are not required to attend this school.

For the third question, I do think that this community service helps the individual, in multiple ways. First, the individual is more exposed to their community. By requiring this service, it becomes garunteed that each student will get a glimpse of their community, and how they can work to make it better. Secondly, the work surely improves the student's social skills. By participating in service groups, working at libraries, etc., the student is forced to interact with others to perform his assigned task. I think it's safe to say that this is a vital skill for adult hood. If a student does not learn how to speak effectively, or assimilate into a different group of people, how are they going to make it through the challenges of the world? You can't aquire social skills by merely studying: they must be experienced. That is one of the things community service provides: Interaction with the outside world, and people that you may not be familiar with. And finally, what's the harm of community service? Does it harm any person in any way? It sure has its benefits.

I want to conclude in saying that community service has visible benefits. Organizations like City Year, Habitat for Humanity, and many others make it clear that youth service has great benefits to the community and the youth as well. It should be a requirement to graduate, because without it, you may not be fully growing up.

 

[Sieguest]

Hello Debaters/PGers,

At the school I am attending, every student must complete a minimun of 100 hrs. of community service over the course of their 4 high school years to recieve a diploma. Not meeting this requirement results in the student's diploma being withheld until he/she can complete this graduation requirement.

Now, I bring these questions to you: Is it right for a school to hold community service as a graduation requirement? Do you think it is right for schools to require more than satisfactory academic performance for the receiving of a diploma? Why? Does this required community service actually help the student?

What do you guys think about the above questions? If you have any to add, feel free to add them (or tell me so I can put them in this OP). As for my opinion:

I honestly don't think that community service should be a graduation requirement for high school. If you ask me, it demands too much of students, and further increases the gap of those students who are economically disadvantaged from those who are not. The base of my focus is around economically disadvantaged and mentally handicapped students.

First, I think it is the right of said Institution whether or not to require community service as a graduation requirement. You, the student, by enrolling into the school, and maybe signing a contract, have agreed to follow and uphold all the rules the school may decide to set. Therefore, if they have decided to require you to do community service, and you agreed to abide by their rules (you DID read the rulebook correct?), you should not have a problem with the service., and if you do, why did you enroll?

I feel it's a pretty narrow minded assumption to think that someone chooses their school district. There are families who have no money to move to an area where they would prefer their child to go to school. Where I live, where you go to school is dependent on where you live, and as under-developed as our schools are, my family doesn't have the financial backing to move somewhere where I could receive a better education. It's not as simple as "did you agree to the rulebook" sort of thing, I'm pretty much stuck where I am right now.

Now, on to my first question. I believe that the job of the school is not only to provide the student with the education they need to function in the world, but to also shape them to become active, participating adults in their community. It is the school's job to prepare the student for the world we live in, which can not be done by solely requiring them to perform well on some tests and get satisfactory grades. By only requiring that students aquire decent grades, how are you making sure that they are developing as people? How are they learning about the issues we face today, and what they could possibly do to help resolve them? If the goal of the school is to make well rounded individuals, that can survive on their own, they must have a way to expose them to the world outside of their homes and classrooms. Therefore, if they belive that the community service is the way to achieve this goal, it is their right and duty to make it a requirement for graduation.

I agree with you for the most part, and your right about what a school should do about how to produce more well rounded individuals. But I don't see how this will help any economically disadvantaged students who have to work, do their homework so they can pass, and maintain their health. Everyone else will do fine, but then you'll find more ED students not getting their diplomas.

For the second question, I do think school's can justify why they require more than acedemic satisfaction for distributing diplomas. Like I said in the previous paragraph: Making straight A's does not necessarily ensure that the student is developing the skills they need for adult hood. And again, it is the school's right to decide what is necessary to receive their diploma, and you, the student, are not required to attend this school.

Unless economic/ school district reasons say otherwise.

For the third question, I do think that this community service helps the individual, in multiple ways. First, the individual is more exposed to their community. By requiring this service, it becomes garunteed that each student will get a glimpse of their community, and how they can work to make it better. Secondly, the work surely improves the student's social skills. By participating in service groups, working at libraries, etc., the student is forced to interact with others to perform his assigned task. I think it's safe to say that this is a vital skill for adult hood. If a student does not learn how to speak effectively, or assimilate into a different group of people, how are they going to make it through the challenges of the world? You can't aquire social skills by merely studying: they must be experienced. That is one of the things community service provides: Interaction with the outside world, and people that you may not be familiar with. And finally, what's the harm of community service? Does it harm any person in any way? It sure has its benefits.

I agree with most of what you've said here as well, but although community service seems like the end all to developing social skills, it does have its drawbacks. Students who are socially inept are forced into situations completely uncomfortable to them. The psychological impact this can have on some children of this background can do more harm than good. As a school requirement it detracts time away from study and homework. Those three hours you spent picking up trash could've been the three hours that got you an A on that history project. It seems pretty give and take.

I've always been a skeptic on how much the school can impose upon you and just how pertinent it is. I also feel that imposed CS hours pretty much takes away some of the incentive for scholarships.

I want to conclude in saying that community service has visible benefits. Organizations like City Year, Habitat for Humanity, and many others make it clear that youth service has great benefits to the community and the youth as well. It should be a requirement to graduate, because without it, you may not be fully growing up.

I admit that community service definitely has its benefits, but I don't see why it should be forced upon students. Then again, I wouldn't completely abhor it if I did have to do community service in order to graduate.

 

[Dre89]

I feel it's a pretty narrow minded assumption to think that someone chooses their school district. There are families who have no money to move to an area where they would prefer their child to go to school. Where I live, where you go to school is dependent on where you live, and as under-developed as our schools are, my family doesn't have the financial backing to move somewhere where I could receive a better education. It's not as simple as "did you agree to the rulebook" sort of thing, I'm pretty much stuck where I am right now.

But then is it fair that an activity which can potentially enhance student flourishing be banned simply because certain children can't chose which school to go to?

A similar argument was made by a girl who attends my university. At my university, there are three core units you are forced to do, and pay for, regardless of your degree. This girl complained that she had to do them, but that she had no choice because our university was the only place she could do her particular degree.

So the question is, should institutions abandon enrichment methodologies such as CS or core units, which are supposedly of benefit to the students, to cater for people like this girl?

I agree with most of what you've said here as well, but although community service seems like the end all to developing social skills, it does have its drawbacks. Students who are socially inept are forced into situations completely uncomfortable to them. The psychological impact this can have on some children of this background can do more harm than good. As a school requirement it detracts time away from study and homework. Those three hours you spent picking up trash could've been the three hours that got you an A on that history project. It seems pretty give and take.

The whole point of school is to prepare students for the real world. Saying a student can't handle CS because of social issues, and therefore shouldn't do it, is defeating the purpose of going to school.

It's almost like enrolling a child in dancing lessons, then saying that he shouldn't have to be made to dance because he's not good at it- it defeats the purpose.

 

[BSP]

I honestly don't think that community service should be a graduation requirement for high school. If you ask me, it demands too much of students, and further increases the gap of those students who are economically disadvantaged from those who are not. The base of my focus is around economically disadvantaged and mentally handicapped students.

How much do you consider too demanding? Four years of high school including summer is plenty of time to get the community service hours done. As long as the amount of hours is reasonable, Students should be able to meet the requirements without straining themselves.

For economically challenged families, there is nothing stopping them from organizing their own service at school. Even better, the school itself can hold service opportunities so everyone can take a part in them. School held opportunities should help defeat the problem of getting to the events.

For mentally handicapped children, are they handicapped to the point where it is speechbreaking? If so, shouldn't they be in a school that is specialized for that? If not, I'm sure that the schools can work something out with their students with special needs, it's not impossible.

[I feel it's a pretty narrow minded assumption to think that someone chooses their school district. There are families who have no money to move to an area where they would prefer their child to go to school. Where I live, where you go to school is dependent on where you live, and as under-developed as our schools are, my family doesn't have the financial backing to move somewhere where I could receive a better education. It's not as simple as "did you agree to the rulebook" sort of thing, I'm pretty much stuck where I am right now.

Sorry, I was thinking of myself a little too much when I constructed the OP. Most of the rules of districts don't really matter to me since I go to private school. But, districts can have more than one option for school. In most places, there are multiple schools within reach. The student (or parents, since they mostly choose for you) can make the decision.

[[I agree with you for the most part, and your right about what a school should do about how to produce more well rounded individuals. But I don't see how this will help any economically disadvantaged students who have to work, do their homework so they can pass, and maintain their health. Everyone else will do fine, but then you'll find more ED students not getting their diplomas.

Unless the students are working before high school, then the community service will give ALL students more experience and social skills, as well as improve their resumes. This will facilitate students' hunt for jobs. I covered above how the school can make service opportunities available.

[[Unless economic/ school district reasons say otherwise.

Like I said above, you can have choices in your district.

[[I agree with most of what you've said here as well, but although community service seems like the end all to developing social skills, it does have its drawbacks. Students who are socially inept are forced into situations completely uncomfortable to them. The psychological impact this can have on some children of this background can do more harm than good. As a school requirement it detracts time away from study and homework. Those three hours you spent picking up trash could've been the three hours that got you an A on that history project. It seems pretty give and take.

If the students are socially inept, I would think it would be better that they confront their problem in high school rather than waiting till they reach the abult world. Going into a job interview without any social skill or outside experience would also be pretty uncomfortable.

I understand that the service takes time, but like I said, there's plenty of time during 4 years of high school to complete the hours. Students have summer, and if they work during the year, they can also improve their time management skills as well.

[[I've always been a skeptic on how much the school can impose upon you and just how pertinent it is. I also feel that imposed CS hours pretty much takes away some of the incentive for scholarships.

Well, as long as the hours required are reasonable, I think rquired service is ok. Reasonable is subjective, but if a majority of a year of students were hard-pressed to complete their hours, they could always change the requirement.

How does CS take away incentive for scholarships?

[[I admit that community service definitely has its benefits, but I don't see why it should be forced upon students. Then again, I wouldn't completely abhor it if I did have to do community service in order to graduate.

Well, I think that the community service creates a complete student.

Sorry if this post is rough. I had more information, but it all got erased.

 

[Sieguest]

But then is it fair that an activity which can potentially enhance student flourishing be banned simply because certain children can't chose which school to go to?

A similar argument was made by a girl who attends my university. At my university, there are three core units you are forced to do, and pay for, regardless of your degree. This girl complained that she had to do them, but that she had no choice because our university was the only place she could do her particular degree.

So the question is, should institutions abandon enrichment methodologies such as CS or core units, which are supposedly of benefit to the students, to cater for people like this girl?

You've missed my point, the situation is not in the singularity.

I'll use my district for example.
MISD has two high schools. But I can't freely choose which high school to go to. Which high school I attend is based from my address. The enrollment line makes a horseshoe through the county. and anyone west of the county must go to Midland High. Anyone east of the line must go to Midland Lee. The same holds true for other school districts in West Texas so my district isn't in the singularity either. However I can't account for anything outside of my state though. So I may be acting too rash with a narrow assumption. For ED families and lower middle class families such as mine moving isn't an option, neither is housing for practically anyone who wants to move.

Basically what I'm getting at is that your analogy in the singularity can't really be matched to the situation I'm talking about.

The whole point of school is to prepare students for the real world. Saying a student can't handle CS because of social issues, and therefore shouldn't do it, is defeating the purpose of going to school.

So basically, throw an infant in the water and watch them sink or swim?

It's almost like enrolling a child in dancing lessons, then saying that he shouldn't have to be made to dance because he's not good at it- it defeats the purpose.

This completely misses the point, see above.

How much do you consider too demanding? Four years of high school including summer is plenty of time to get the community service hours done. As long as the amount of hours is reasonable, Students should be able to meet the requirements without straining themselves.

You have a point.

For economically challenged families, there is nothing stopping them from organizing their own service at school. Even better, the school itself can hold service opportunities so everyone can take a part in them. School held opportunities should help defeat the problem of getting to the events.

Also a good point.

For mentally handicapped children, are they handicapped to the point where it is speechbreaking? If so, shouldn't they be in a school that is specialized for that? If not, I'm sure that the schools can work something out with their students with special needs, it's not impossible.

I'll use my school and other West Texas schools as an example and say no. I come into contact with students who can't even say their own name much less help themselves.

Sorry, I was thinking of myself a little too much when I constructed the OP. Most of the rules of districts don't really matter to me since I go to private school. But, districts can have more than one option for school. In most places, there are multiple schools within reach. The student (or parents, since they mostly choose for you) can make the decision.

See my explanation of MISD above.

Unless the students are working before high school, then the community service will give ALL students more experience and social skills, as well as improve their resumes. This will facilitate students' hunt for jobs. I covered above how the school can make service opportunities available.

True.

If the students are socially inept, I would think it would be better that they confront their problem in high school rather than waiting till they reach the abult world. Going into a job interview without any social skill or outside experience would also be pretty uncomfortable.

See my response to Dre.

I understand that the service takes time, but like I said, there's plenty of time during 4 years of high school to complete the hours. Students have summer, and if they work during the year, they can also improve their time management skills as well.

This is assuming the school is a eight/nine month school. You overlook children enrolled in year-round school.

How does CS take away incentive for scholarships?

Because you'll have no base for finding an exemplary student hours wise out of the crowd because they all have X hours while some scholarships require h<X hours.

Well, I think that the community service creates a complete student.

It may very well do so, unless students continually participate in service that doesn't require much interaction. E.G. picking up trash.

Sorry if this post is rough. I had more information, but it all got erased.

All is well, I've really no problem with CS. It's just as of recent my school district has really bothered me with unnecessary graduation requirements along with sub-par performance. I may just be being presumptuous.

 

[BSP]

You've missed my point, the situation is not in the singularity.

I'll use my district for example.
MISD has two high schools. But I can't freely choose which high school to go to. Which high school I attend is based from my address. The enrollment line makes a horseshoe through the county. and anyone west of the county must go to Midland High. Anyone east of the line must go to Midland Lee. The same holds true for other school districts in West Texas so my district isn't in the singularity either. However I can't account for anything outside of my state though. So I may be acting too rash with a narrow assumption. For ED families and lower middle class families such as mine moving isn't an option, neither is housing for practically anyone who wants to move.

Basically what I'm getting at is that your analogy in the singularity can't really be matched to the situation I'm talking about.

Oh, I see what you mean now. Well, choice only applies to non-public schools then.

[So basically, throw an infant in the water and watch them sink or swim?

No, you don't have to jump into the deep water first. Inept children can work in groups, no one has to do it alone. By working in a group first, the child can develop their skills, and eventually move on to working on their own.

Also, like I said before, the child could start small. Volunteering at a library is definitely now an intense job, yet you still have some small forms of interaction and communication.

And, if the child is to such a level of shyness to where they can't even make friends/communicate naturally, I'm sure that the parents would have the child in a program to help with it. Not just for community service, but for growing up in general.

[I'll use my school and other West Texas schools as an example and say no. I come into contact with students who can't even say their own name much less help themselves.

I would think that would start falling to the parents' responsibility if their child is having that many problems. On the fortunate side though, the community service would expose this problem if had not been already, allowing it to be resolved instead of kept.

[See my response to Dre.

I will get to that in a moment.

[This is assuming the school is a eight/nine month school. You overlook children enrolled in year-round school.

If you are in a year round school, I still don't see any glaring problems. There are still holidays, weekends, etc. Even without summer the students should still have time to complete the service, especially if the school provides events as well.

[Because you'll have no base for finding an exemplary student hours wise out of the crowd because they all have X hours while some scholarships require h<X hours.

That is true. But all that would be necessary would be to raise the # of hours required for the scholarship above the required X hours. Would that create problems?

[It may very well do so, unless students continually participate in service that doesn't require much interaction. E.G. picking up trash.

Well, the school establish a rule that requires you to do X amount of hours with direct interaction. This insures people to people interaction, and, for the students who are a little more shy, volunteering at a library is still direct service without exposing the child to a mass crowd at once.

 

[Sieguest]

No, you don't have to jump into the deep water first. Inept children can work in groups, no one has to do it alone. By working in a group first, the child can develop their skills, and eventually move on to working on their own.

Also, like I said before, the child could start small. Volunteering at a library is definitely now an intense job, yet you still have some small forms of interaction and communication.

And, if the child is to such a level of shyness to where they can't even make friends/communicate naturally, I'm sure that the parents would have the child in a program to help with it. Not just for community service, but for growing up in general.

That seems well enough.

I would think that would start falling to the parents' responsibility if their child is having that many problems. On the fortunate side though, the community service would expose this problem if had not been already, allowing it to be resolved instead of kept.

What? How can something beyond the parents' control (their child's mental illness) be their responsibility if their child falls under the same district as patterns as a student like myself does? When I mention a child that can't say his/her own name, I'm talking about mentally disabled students.

If you are in a year round school, I still don't see any glaring problems. There are still holidays, weekends, etc. Even without summer the students should still have time to complete the service, especially if the school provides events as well.

I'm not fully convinced, but I see your point.

That is true. But all that would be necessary would be to raise the # of hours required for the scholarship above the required X hours. Would that create problems?

Possibly, because then schools that wouldn't require community service hours would see it as an unwarranted increase.

Well, the school establish a rule that requires you to do X amount of hours with direct interaction. This insures people to people interaction, and, for the students who are a little more shy, volunteering at a library is still direct service without exposing the child to a mass crowd at once.

I see your point.

 

[BSP]

What? How can something beyond the parents' control (their child's mental illness) be their responsibility if their child falls under the same district as patterns as a student like myself does? When I mention a child that can't say his/her own name, I'm talking about mentally disabled students.

Sorry. I worded that statement in a weird way. What I meant was that if the parents know of their child's illness, why would they be trying to send their child to normal school even though it's obvious that their child would have problems?

However, I understand your point in that not every family would have the resources to move and locate a school that is specialized for their child's illness. But, by looking at Public Law 94-142:

This act required all public schools accepting federal funds to provide equal access to education for children with physical and mental disabilities. Public schools were required to evaluate handicapped students and create an educational plan with parent input that would emulate as closely as possible the educational experience of non-disabled students.

The act also required that school districts provide administrative procedures so that parents of disabled children could dispute decisions made about their children’s education.

Ok, so all federal funded public schools must provide equal access to education for students with disabilities. According yo this law, if a mentally handicapped child was forced to go to a normal public school in their district, a plan could be constructed to allow them to get through high school. If the school decided that the illness was to an extent that prevented the performance of community service, they could omit or create a special plan for said student.