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

It is argued that volunteering should be made part of the school curriculum.

This

essay agrees with that suggestion completely because of the benefits it brings to pupils.

Moreover

, the essay will

first

look at how voluntary

work

can help students develop soft skills and

then

discuss how these extracurricular activities are valued by universities and employers. Education should not be limited to strictly academic pursuits and those in education should

also

develop life skills,

such

as teamwork, empathy and self-discipline, and 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 6 weeks in Africa 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 similar type of experience.

However

, most school leavers have the same grades and charitable works can help set you apart from the herd.

For example

, Cambridge and Oxford receive thousands of applications from straight-A students every year and can only accept a small percentage of applicants.

Additionally

, what you have done outside the classroom is often the thing that differentiates you from everyone else and gets you that coveted spot. In conclusion, teenagers should be made to partake in unpaid

work

as part of their schooling because it will help them learn things they wouldn’t ordinarily learn from their teachers and it will in turn boost their chances of getting into

third

level education.