Forum: School volunteering shouldn’t be seen as just another assignment
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Values-In-Action (VIA) activities in schools are designed to cultivate a spirit of volunteering and service. But in practice, many students do it just for the sake of meeting the required VIA hours for their bonus points.
I believe service for the community should be about putting the interests of our beneficiaries first, and not doing it merely to clock hours that fulfil a requirement.
Volunteering is wanting to do something without being told. People volunteer because they genuinely want to give back to the community. With VIA being compulsory in schools, that spirit of service can get lost.
Recently, in a VIA project in school, I noticed many students choosing to do a project on a topic with the least amount of work and research required. They didn’t feel strongly about what they were doing and did it just because “it’s the easiest”.
Well, what’s the point of doing it without genuinely wanting to? The beneficiaries of the project would feel the lack of care and this reduces the impact of volunteerism.
Yes, VIA being compulsory definitely does have its advantages and exposes many people to the idea of volunteering. But for teenagers to truly understand what service is about, they have to put in the effort to source for volunteering activities that resonate with them and commit to serving.
Teenagers should appreciate the opportunities schools give them and conduct their VIA activities with genuine interest to make a difference and serve from the bottom of their hearts.
Chryselle Lee Xin Lei, 16
Secondary 4
