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Should community service be compulsory in schools?
IELTS Writing task 2. Write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes.
Some people say that high school students should be required to do unpaid community service as part of their studies. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
0 words (minimum 250) · 40:00
How to plan it
- Decide your position before you write. This plan agrees to a large extent, with some conditions.
- Introduction: restate the topic and give your position in one sentence.
- Body 1: the benefits for students, with examples.
- Body 2: the benefits for society, with examples.
- Body 3: the main risk and how to avoid it.
- Conclusion: restate your position and the condition in different words.
Show a model answer (299 words)
Some people believe that every high school student should do unpaid work to help their community. I agree with this idea to a large extent, because it benefits both the students and the society, although schools must organise it carefully.
The main benefit for students is that they learn skills and values that they cannot gain from textbooks. A student who helps in a hospital, cleans a park or teaches younger children learns to work in a team, to take responsibility and to communicate with people of different ages. These experiences can also help a young person decide what career to follow, and they look good on an application for university or a job.
Society benefits as well. Communities often need extra help, but local charities and councils do not have enough money to pay for it. If thousands of students give a few hours a month, many useful tasks can be done, such as clearing rubbish or visiting elderly people who live alone. In addition, young people who take part in these projects tend to feel more connected to their neighbourhood and are more likely to continue helping when they are adults.
However, there are some risks. If community service is forced on students without enough planning, it may feel like a punishment, and some may do the minimum or avoid it. It could also take time away from study, especially in the final years of school. For this reason, the service should be limited to a reasonable number of hours, and students should be given a choice of projects that interest them.
In conclusion, compulsory community service can teach young people valuable skills and help society, provided that it is well organised and does not overload students. I therefore support it as part of the school programme.
Why it works
- The position is clear in the introduction and in the conclusion, and it does not change in between.
- Each body paragraph has one main idea, an explanation and an example.
- The third body paragraph deals with the opposing view, which shows a balanced argument and still supports the writer's position.
- Linking words such as however, in addition and for this reason connect the ideas without being repeated.