Do you think high school students should be required to serve one year Essay

Do you think high school students should be required to serve one year of community service - Essay Example I feel students who volunteer may perform better in school. Looking at statistics I found that students who were required to do volunteer work in high school were twenty-two percent more likely to finish college. Twenty-two may seem a small number, but when it comes to being able to complete college I think it matters greatly. The same study also found these same students were able to improve their grades in several academic areas, such as reading, science and math. Being able to perform well in school is very important as it can affect a person’s future career (CIRCLE). The second reason I feel community service in high school is important is because it will bring about a good work ethic for students. Some students have part time jobs during school, while others do not. I would think it could give a student a sense of accomplishment. The student would be able to see firsthand what it is like to work and help others. Students would not be paid for their work, but it would help them appreciate payment all the more when they do someday have a job. I think it would be good if the schools would give students a wide range of choices regarding where they would volunteer. Students who are considering what careers they are interested in may have the opportunity to volunteer at a place that may be in relation to their career aspirations.

Current UK Government Initiatives That Focus On Personal And Emotional Essay

Current UK Government Initiatives That Focus On Personal And Emotional Development - Essay Example Donaldson argues powerfully that young children, in order to be able to build on what they already know and can do, need to be in situations which make 'human sense' to them. The current situation in England is one in which the growth of the ECEC sector, in terms of numbers of places, is positively encouraged by the government, especially by the Treasury. This appears to emphasise the care aspect. However, at the same time there are other government-initiated developments concerning the need for improvements in the quality of provision, such as a new training pack for those who work with children aged from birth to three (Abbott et al. 2002) and the Secretary of State Charles Clarke's pledge for more resources. Since 2000, UK governments have invested heavily in leadership development in the NHS to secure policy change and modernise the service. A plethora of leadership programmes and initiatives have been supported with variable success. During recent years in the UK, there have been numerous government initiatives relating to the care and education of young children. Some of these, such as Sure Start, have been very successful, whereas others have proved to be more complicated to implement and fund. The idea that children have rights is a fair... However, Saraga (1998) states that '"rights" like "needs" is a highly contested concept particularly when applied to children'. Saraga goes on to say that children depend on the adults who care for them to assert their rights for them and that rights are limited by the child's vulnerability and dependency. Children's learning and development Child development falls into the two main categories of physical and neurological. Physical skills involve both gross motor skills such as rolling over, crawling and walking, and fine motor skills such as hand-eye coordination, grasping objects, drawing and later writing. Sensory development is also physical and includes sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Intellectual and cognitive development centre on activity in the brain including use of language, smiling and giggling, imagination and working out. Our children's emotional wellbeing also develops in the brain and comprises many areas such as self awareness, self esteem and the ability to interact with others. Playing in some form or another helps to refine these different areas of development in babies and young children. (http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/talktoyourbaby/play.html) Children need activities which will stimulate their social, physical, intellectual, linguistic, emotional and moral development. The early years curriculum should be linked with a child's stage of development, which can be ascertained by careful observation of the child and discussions with the parents and family. The child's progress should be monitored, recorded and shared with the parents. Equality of opportunity The individuality of each child