part-time jobs vs extracurricular activities?

Question

“Teachers and parents should be more concerned then they are about the gradual trend among high school students toward part-time employment and away from participation in school-sponsored extracurricular activities.”

agree/diagree
+reasons

Answer 1

I believe that teens (high school students) should be participating in extracurricular activities- whether it be baseball, chess, math club,etc- instead of trying to take on the responsibilities of adults. They have many years to work- why not let them learn responsibility, communication skills, teamwork, rejection all through extracurricular activities. Maybe teens could be encouraged to volunteer for organizations that help others in need- helping others that are less fortunate can be a great lesson in itself- and rewarding at the same time. These are the same skills that they will use with a job- but with sometimes harsher consequences.
With school activities these LIFE lessons can be learned along side their peers and others their age. I believe these activities can teach teens even more than a part-time job ever could.

Answer 2

I agree because extracurricular activities are part of education. A menial job at minimum wage is not really an educational benefit. Also many universities, especially very good ones, will often look at students' extracurricular achievements in addition to academic marks. In fact, sometimes, a less than academically stellar student will be accepted over a more accomplished one because the former has put in a lot of extra activities, community work and "social" work. A university doesn't only need gifted students, it needs students who also get involved in making a university a unique community of clubs, teams, newspapers, student unions etc. So, as a parent and educator I would far prefer that my child be involved in those activities rather than making pocket change for very little long-term benefit.

Answer 3

Yes and No. I think nowadays a lot more students are more focused on jobs and in ways should be. I think it is important for children to learn the value of good work ethic and the real value of making money for yourself. I also think it may be a better character builder than extracurricular activities because it seems that schools tend to give too much importance to sports and other activities over school, for example, team members missing numerous hours of school time to play their sports. I always thought that the priority was misplaced because you go to school to learn, not to play sports. But in other ways, students should be encouraged to do more extracurricular activies because it helps a lot with furthering your education and holds a lot of weight with colleges deciding on who to give scholarships to and admit.