Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children). To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is argued that volunteering for community

work

should be made part of the high school curriculum. I completely agree because of the benefits it brings to pupils as voluntary

work

can help students develop soft skills, and these extracurricular activities are valued by universities and employers. Education should not be limited to strictly academic pursuits and those in

education

Suggestion

Education

should

also

develop life skills,

such

as teamwork, empathy and

selfdiscipline

Suggestion

self discipline

. In my view, one of the best ways to hone these aptitudes is through community service. Serving those less fortunate than ourselves teaches us many lessons including how to

work

with people from other backgrounds and the value of hard

work

.

For example

, I personally volunteered to spend 5 weeks in Botswana teaching disadvantaged children and

this

led to a much higher

work

ethic when I returned to my studies. Many colleges and companies are increasingly looking for

this

type of experience. Most school leavers have the same grades and charitable works can help set them apart from the rest of the crowd.

For instance

, Cambridge and Oxford receive thousands of applications from straight-A students every year and can only accept a small percentage of applicants. The experience a young person has outside the classroom is often the thing that differentiates them from everyone else and helps them attain the coveted position they are looking for. In conclusion, I believe teenagers should be made to participate in unpaid

work

as part of their schooling as it will help them learn things they would not ordinarily learn from their teachers, as well as boosting their chances of getting into tertiary education.