ARE PAROCHIAL SCHOOL VALUES BEING FORCED INTO PUBLIC SCHOOLS?

At the October 16, 2013 Woodbridge Board of Education meeting, the board passed a policy requiring high school students to perform 10 hours of Community Service, each year, in order to obtain their diploma.  As an American citizen, I oppose the implementation of such a policy on several levels, not the least of which is forced servitude in an free society. 

What follows is the opinion of two individuals with very opposing views on a school board mandating Community Service, in order for a student to graduated.  My own commentary on the matter follows theirs. 

As Posted in the Home News Tribune, pg. A4, Opinion Section, Oct. 22, 2013

(http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310220009)

Don’t Force Volunteerism on High School Students

I am writing in response to the Oct. 17 letter written by Daniel Harris proposing a ratification of a community service component to the Woodbridge Township School District graduation requirements.

While Mr. Harris may have good working intentions, he is seriously mistaken if he thinks that adding this provision at this late date and handing out antiquated volunteer packets is a good thing. I have never heard of a school district imposing further requirements to graduate after the school year has already begun. It’s unheard of and compromises the graduation of every single senior student.

Community service is not something that should be forced on anyone. The last time I checked the only people who have to complete imposed community service are convicted felons. Volunteerism is something that people should “want” to do. Forcing students to perform these tasks to fulfill a requirement devalues the entire process.

So while Mr. Harris was busy tooting his own horn, writing to the Home News Tribune and “proudly voting” yes to this requirement he apparently wasn’t thinking about anything that I have mentioned.

Mr. Harris is not alone in thinking that families such as mine want the best for their students but as far as “pushing” them is concerned he is seriously mistaken. Encouraging, supporting them, yes. Supplying them with the tools and timeline that they need in order to be successful and complete a task, absolutely. The latter is what he and his fellow board members have failed miserably at.

Susan Chubbuck

ISELIN

END 

What follows is  Mr. Daniel Harris’s commentary in the October 16 Opinion Section of Home News Tribune (http://www.mycentraljersey.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310180011):

I write to inform the public of the Woodbridge Township Board of Education’s pending decision to require all high school students to perform 10 hours of community service each year in order to graduate from one of our three high schools.As a district, we recommend our students to enroll in one additional year of mathematics, science, and history which exceeds the state requirements. I know that I am not alone in my belief that our school district and our families want to push our students to not only be the best students, but also well-rounded citizens.

As an avid participant in community service since my days in high school, I know that I have grown by leaps and bounds through those experiences. In high school, I worked each Sunday with an autistic student. In college, I participated in cleanups in urban Philadelphia, fundraised for St. Jude Chilrdren’s Research Hospital and helped build a home in Kentucky’s Appalachian region.

Today, I co-chair the bi-annual Colonia Cleanup where two weekends ago we welcomed over 180 volunteers, mostly township high school students, among other civic groups, in our cleanup efforts. Whether it was my own experiences or the experience of today’s students, these moments teach our kids lessons they could not possibly learn from a desk in our schools or at home.

Character building is important, but so is building a resume for higher education. On Thursday, Oct. 17, I will be proudly voting “yes” to support the new graduation requirement.

Daniel Harris, Member,

Board of Education, WOODBRIDGE

 END

For those who may not be aware, Mr. Harris attended St. Joseph High School (Metuchen) and Saint Joseph's University.  He is employed as Legislative Director at Joint Office of Senator Joseph F. Vitale & Assemblyman Craig J. Coughlin and is a Staff Writer at Colonia Corner, Inc.

While Mr. Harris is praise worthy for his ‘volunteerism’, one must note he volunteered to help others in his community; he was not required to do so.  Perhaps, his parochial school education and his parents instilled within Mr. Harris the need help others.  But the Woodbridge School District is a public school, not a parochial school. As stated in Wikipedia, Catholic schools are distinct from their public school counterparts in focusing on the development of individuals as practitioners of the Catholic faith. The leaders, teachers and students are required to focus on four fundamental rules initiated by the Church and school. This includes the Catholic identity of the school, education in regards to life and faith, celebration of life and faith, and action and social justice. 

Mr. Harris, his fellow Woodbridge Board of Education members and the Superintendent of the Woodbridge School District, Dr. Robert Zega, are, in the opinion of many, wrong in imposing their personal beliefs on students by mandating students  perform Community Service, in order to graduate from high school. 

The role of public schools is to educate students by teaching them the 3 R’s (reading, writing and arithmetic), to develop a student's social skills, and to provide students with the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities. No student is compelled, in example, to run track, play football or basketball, or be a cheerleader.  The students derive their own personal satisfaction and public recognition from such extracurricular activities.  Colleges also look more favorable upon a student that has participated in school sponsored clubs and other extracurricular activities.

Is it not true one of  the most important things our schools can teach a student is that the choices they made during their  school life will have long-term effects?  Volunteerism certainly offers many rewards for those that give of themselves to help others.  For this reason, if no other, students should be encouraged to volunteer, but never mandated to do so.

If anyone reading this feels the same why about keeping the spirit of volunteerism alive in our public schools, please contact the Woodbridge Superintendent and the Board of Education members and tell them to drop the requirement for Community Service and let the students find the benefits of volunteering on their own.