Every kid starts their high school journey with one particular one moment taking precedent in their head: THE DAY OF GRADUATION. Right JSS 1 (in Nigeria standard) the feeling of finally becoming a senior at the final stage of secondary school preparing to graduate has and will remain one of the most special feelings at that time. Now imagine going through years of school struggles, waking up early to get to school early, fighting with mountains of assignments, studying for tests and examinations, navigating through the academic hustle and listening to teachers promise how important education is in today's society until you finally make it to what is supposed to be the finish line. You are done with your final exams, your parents are already preparing for your graduation ceremony and in your head you are already picturing yourself standing out in front of countless basking in your achievements. Just when you think it is all over the school introduces a compulsory policy: "Before you can be considered a graduation, you must participate in a mandatory community service". Not a graduation ceremony!!!!! An act of service.
MINE
This new development will definitely shock the excitement out of anyone who doesn't expect to be forced into something of this nature. While your mates from other schools are already preparing for their graduation parties, prom night, the after party and whatnot, you ok the other hand will be practicing just how fast you can clean through an entire neighborhood before you can even get access to your certificate. At this juncture every logical person will just start wondering if they signed up for something else instead of the school they were meant to believe without prior information and honestly who can blame you because if you look at this properly, it doesn't even seem fair. While I understand that the idea behind this policy is coming from a place of good intent as everybody needs to understand the relevance of giving back to the community, helping others and ensuring environmental hygiene which should not only be taught but practiced as well. I however disagree with making community service compulsory under this kind of condition simply because I believe you cannot teach someone selflessness by forcing it on them like another test they must pass before getting something they already worked hard for.
The biggest flaw behind this that irks me is how badly it will change how students will view community service. It should primarily come a willingness to help and support anyway we can and not from the fear of not getting something that should even be yours after working for it because if anybody spends years in an education system and discovers that the final task is working for the community, they are definitely not thinking about doing it for the greater good but instead their minds will be fixated on how many hours of work they can put in before getting access to their reward (certificate). The worst part all this is if this happens in a country like Nigeria, the moment you complain about this irregularity, you are quicker told to keep quiet and fall in line with a reminder that you are simply learning what responsibility looks like in the form of a threat. If this becomes a reality then something that is supposed to represent goodwill inevitably appears like some sort of punishment. Young people want to feel like they are being rewarded for their effort instead of struggling to understand whether they are being punished for something they still can't comprehend. Just picture someone who has spent roughly 6 years from junior Secondary to senior secondary school is being told that he does not deserve to be celebrated because he/she did not help the clean the drainage system in front of the hospital. I can never buy into this idea even if it is coming from a place of love.
MINE
Not to be misunderstood, community service is truly good and I can never discourage anybody from participating in anything that benefits the entire community. What I stand against is making it mandatory and using it as a tool to threaten students. They should be encouraged to engage in it because it is something responsible citizens do instead making them feel like they have one final quest to complete before they can proceed to the next phase of their lives.....
Thank you.