The big debate

Should schools
Some people say helping out
offer community service?
should be on the curriculum.
What you need to know
Community service means volunteering
(giving up your time without being
paid) to do jobs that help to improve
communities. These jobs could be painting
community buildings, gardening in parks
or picking up litter in the local area.

In the US, in many school districts

students have to do a certain amount
of community service to graduate from
secondary school. It’s meant to encourage
responsibility in young people.
HERORS
A UK study of 70,000 people showed that HELPEr one billion
those who had volunteered in the last re ove e,
year were more satisfied with their lives There ateers worldwidto
volun im e
p their t
giving u lp others.
and rated their overall health as better
Community
than those who hadn’t.
service can be fun. he

Yes – it would benefit everyone No – it should be voluntary

A s part of the King’s coronation this year, around
six million British people, including many
children, took part in the Big Help Out – a UK-wide
day of volunteering in the community. In 2009, the
Labour Prime Minister at the time, Gordon Brown,
announced a plan that would require every teenager
in Britain to carry out 50 hours of community work.
The plan was never put in place but some people still
think that community service should be part of the
school curriculum. They believe that it would not only
help improve people’s quality of life but it would also
give young people skills and boost their wellbeing
and confidence. Others say you shouldn’t force people
to do community service. What do you think, should
schools offer community service?
Communities always need more helping hands. If all
schools had community service as part of their
curriculum, imagine how many hours of work this
would generate and how much communities would
benefit. Community service teaches people about the
world around them, helps them to develop empathy
(being able to understand others’ feelings and
viewpoints) and demonstrates how our actions can
have a positive effect on other people’s lives. If every
young person did community service, it would show
them how to be active and positive citizens.
Volunteering is a great way to meet people and
explore what you enjoy doing. It can also help people
decide what career they would like to pursue.
If people are forced to do community service in school
it might put them off doing it in their own time or
when they are an adult. If serving a community is
compulsory rather than voluntary, then it doesn’t
come from the heart. This means young people miss
out on the true value of community service – the
feeling of accomplishment and pride that they have
chosen to devote their time to help others. Besides,
when are they expected to do these community
service hours? They already have packed days, full of
lessons, plus homework and activities such as sports
and household chores. If schools add community
service to the curriculum, students could miss the
chance to explore their own interests and passions.

Three reasons schools should Three reasons schools should

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Junior
LAST WEEK’S POLL
Last week we asked if dog
owners should have to
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you agreed that it
67%
would be best for YES
the pets and their
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YES offer community service NO not offer community service
the debate
1 So many people and organisations
need help and students can make a
huge difference by giving their time.
1 Forcing people to do community service
can make them less likely to choose to
volunteer later in life.
2 Community service helps young people
to expand their world view, learn
empathy and see the positive effects
2 If community service isn’t voluntary it
doesn’t come from the heart, which
means it’s not as meaningful for the
of their actions. communities that benefit or as fulfilling
33% for those who do it.
3
NO Community service is a great way to
meet others and it can also help people
to figure out what jobs they are good
at doing and enjoy.
3 Kids are already so busy that it’s not fair
to make them do more. They could miss
out on a chance to follow hobbies.
GETTY IMAGES

Now that you’ve read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior.co.uk/polls.
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Vote YES if you think schools should offer community service, or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week.

The aim of the Big debate page is to present two sides of an issue fairly and objectively, in order to stimulate discussion and allow our readers to make up their minds.
8 The views on the page do not reflect those of The Week Junior, and the page is not funded by third parties. The page is created in association with the English-Speaking The Week Junior • 21 October 2023
Union, an educational charity helping young people discover their voice and realise their full potential. For more information, please see esu.org
Crossword
ACROSS
Read the clues carefully and
write the answers into the grid. Wordsearch
Can you find all of the words listed here?
They are hidden horizontally, vertically or
1 Garden watering tube (4)
diagonally and may read forwards or backwards.
3 Moves to music (6)
8 Feeblest (7)
9 Frozen water (3)
10 Device for waking you
up (5,5)
13 Poisonous fungi (10)
17 Chunk of firewood (3)
18 Worker who puts up
houses (7)
19 Glass panel on a TV set
(6)
20 Nasty, spiteful (4)

DOWN
1 Bird of prey (4)
2 Garden pest in a shell (5) BED DESK RUG
4 Perform in a play (3) BLANKET DRAWERS SHELVES
5 Capital city of Egypt (5) BOOKS LAMP SLIPPERS
6 Thick slices of meat (6) CHAIR LAPTOP TEDDY
7 Gems found in oysters (6) CLOCK PILLOW TOYS
11 ___ Monster, Sesame CLOTHES POSTER WARDROBE
Street character (6) CURTAINS PYJAMAS
12 Elevated walking poles
used by clowns (6)
14 Fury (5)
15 Deep long-handled spoon used Number ANSWERS
CAN
FOUNDBOEN
for dishing out soup (5)
16 Common heavy metal (4)
18 Buzzing insect (3)
tower
Place a number in every
PAGE 29

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26 The Week Junior • 21 October 2023

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21 October 2023 • The Week Junior 29