Volunteering: Should It Be Compulsory?

Primary SchoolAdvancedDiscursive Writing

The Prompt

Imagine you're thinking about helping others. Lots of young people give their time to help out, like cleaning parks, visiting older people, or raising money for charities. This is called 'volunteering'.

Your task is to write an essay exploring a big question: Should volunteering be something everyone has to do, or should it always be a personal choice?

First, think about all the amazing things that happen when people volunteer. How does it make the person helping feel? What good does it do for the neighbourhood or group they're helping?

Next, imagine a world where every student had to volunteer for a little while. What good things might come from that? Would everyone learn important skills? Would communities get more help?

But then, think about the other side. If it's compulsory, does it still feel special? Should people always have the freedom to choose how they spend their time? Would forcing people make them less enthusiastic?

Your writing should explore both sides of this argument fairly. Use examples if you can! Finally, tell us what you think: Should volunteering be compulsory, or should it always be a choice? Give good reasons for your opinion!

💡 Writing Tips

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Think about all the good things that happen when people volunteer, for themselves and for others.
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Consider both sides: What are the good things about making everyone volunteer? What are the good things about letting it be a personal choice?
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Use connecting words like 'because', 'however', and 'on the other hand' to link your ideas.
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Finish by clearly stating what you think, and give strong reasons for your opinion.

📝 Sample Answer

Volunteering means giving your time to help others without getting paid. It's a wonderful thing because it makes people feel good and helps communities. For example, helping at a local animal shelter teaches you responsibility and makes the animals happier. For the community, volunteers can clean up parks or visit lonely elderly people, making everyone's lives better. Some people think that a little bit of compulsory volunteering could be a great idea for all students. They believe it would teach important life skills, like teamwork and empathy, that you might not learn in a classroom. It could also make sure every community gets the help it needs, and introduce young people to causes they might never have thought about. However, others argue that volunteering should always be a personal choice. If you are forced to do something, it might not feel like 'helping' anymore, and you might not put your heart into it. True volunteering comes from wanting to make a difference, not from being told to. It should be a special thing that people choose to do because they care. I think that while volunteering is fantastic, it should always come from the heart, so it should be a choice, not compulsory.

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