Praise for Community Service Policy

On several occasions I have read or listened to attacks on Laguna Beach High School’s policy requiring students to complete 40 hours of community service prior to graduation. It has been equated with slavery and an abuse of individual rights.

This requirement is no more slavery than is the requirement of doing homework or painfully running around the track in physical education. Just as there is no law requiring a person to complete homework or run around the track, there is likewise no law requiring community service. True, there are consequences for failure of these things--no graduation--but there are consequences in life for failing to do any number of things. The choice, however, is still there with no legal penalty. It is in no way to be equated with slavery.

It seems to me that we are seeing more of the type of people who are concerned only with themselves and do not care a darn about others. Recognizing that this self-serving attitude will do nothing to heal a wounded society, Laguna Beach High School is attempting to instill in its young people a respect for others and a feeling of responsibility to the other people with whom they share this planet.

If any other school district were to happen to institute such a requirement, it would, no doubt, be ridiculed by many people who do not see a need for teaching a sense of responsibility toward others. However, it certainly would not be “slavery,” but a positive step toward the recognition of fellow human beings rather than negative reinforcement of the sole importance of the self-serving individual.

Many things can be taught. Maybe community service is one of these things.

MILTON B. ROUSE

Dana Point

( Milton Rouse is an English teacher at Dana Hills High School. )