Should teenage students be made to work for money after school hours?
By akumei1269
@akumei1269 (1749)
India
November 3, 2008 9:08pm CST
To me it is improper to send teenaged students to work for money after shool hours.
Teenage is called an awkward age. Everybody knows why. The psychological dilemma and predicament accompanied by physical transformation directed towards juvenility, that a teen confronts day and night, is least understood by adults even if one day they themselves passed that phase. Dilemma! Dilemma! and dilemma! Confusion and confusion every where! Unanswered questions all around! And above all thunderbolt of enquiries from elders on each and every action of a teen. To a teen, while the world looks so colorful the society seems to be hostile.
Enormous fantasy against shortage of experience characterizes this age.
Against this backdrop it is struggling for a teen to identify his or her true priority of life.
This is the very stage of one's life which weaves the dream of life- the future. His or her career, relational and social life and social status are all determined by the actions and achievements accomplished during this awkward period of life.
But whether he himself sees the true color of the picture of his future or not, the truth is truth. Truth doesn’t change according to one’s wish or wishful fantasy.
He must build the edifice of his life at the present stage come what may. At the same time his parents also must bear the full responsibility of bringing him to this earth. He must understand pros and cones of teenage energy as well as the struggle begotten by it. They must show him the true color of life. They must show him the destination and not the obscure destiny.
There must not arise the question of pushing him to earn money to run the wheel of his life. Those who brought him to this earth without his prodding must fuel the wheel. Money is not flying for anybody ready, willfully or under compulsion, to work. He has to put his energy and time. He has to cut his share of entertainment in order to work.
He must not be exposed to this man-made struggle over and above the one provided by nature of the awkward age.
Should not he concentrate on his studies and associated acts of creativity? Should not he enjoy his own time? Should not he involve himself with leisure activity to refresh his brain and brawn being exerted upon by school activities? After all, textbooks are not love letters.
A teenager needs money-for his education, clothing and food, personal affects and sports and hobbies. Socialization is a part and parcel of a teen’s life and it also needs some money. Thus we see the importance of money in a teen’s life.
Money is magic. It may turn black if mismanaged. And there is every possibility of happening of this and it is evident from the rapid growth of juvenile crime all over the world. A teen, dogged by all the odds as described above on one hand and enticed by all the colorful dreams that his age shows him incessantly, is very prone to cross the limit once he get to touch money. He feels too liberated and free. After all, once he is compelled to go for money after school hours, the impression about money in his mind becomes nothing but symbol of freedom.
Is it the age of over supplied material freedom. In a society and for that matter a household where money becomes the bonding rope between parents and children, due to which a teenaged child is asked to go for work after school, the same money must feel like the harbinger of unlimited personal freedom. In the teen eyes, money looks like the end in life.
Once acquired prematurely, this freedom and money leads the teen astray.
I therefore strongly urge every parent not to send his or her teenage child for work after school hour.
Do you agree?
3 people like this
16 responses
@highflyingxangel (9225)
• United States
4 Nov 08
I think that working after school or at least working on weekends can provide teens with responsibility and not to mention valuable job experience. Now, I'm not saying that a teen needs to be forced to get a job, but if the teen starts wanting expensive items then maybe it's time they go out and work a part-time job and earning a bit of income so they see what it's like to actually work for something big and not just sit around and have it handed to them.
2 people like this
@tcage08 (88)
• Canada
4 Nov 08
Should they be MADE to? Of course not...should they have the choice? Yes!
How else will they pay for college? Or a first car? random teenage spending? We all aren't trust fund babies. Personally i worked from 16 to 18 and I grew up well-adjusted, actually I found i was a little more mature and experienced then most people my age b/c i was holding down a job and even showing leadership (after a few months i was the 'veteran' there) and gaining valuable life skills.
Maybe set a lmiited number of hours the kid can work? But don't rob teens of the opportunities and life experiences a job can give them. In some ways it's even better than the 'book learning' they get in school.
2 people like this
@sharra1 (6340)
• Australia
5 Nov 08
I think that students have enough work to do with their school work and I think it is too much to make them work after school as well. I know that money is important but if they are working after school when are they going to get time to do their home work and still have some time to relax with friends.
I know it is hard for people who do not earn much but in that case the kids can work in the holidays but after school is hard.
@k4karthik (439)
• India
4 Nov 08
I too agree with you. Working after school will make the child more tired. He will not be able to concentrate on his studies. When earns money he may concentrate more on money rather than studies. So i personally support the argument what you have mentioned.
@eiram25 (1076)
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
i strongly agree with you.parents are there to support their children and not let them make money to help the family or for any other reasons.they should be made to work once they finish their education and when they want to do it.otherwise,they will rebel against the parents.
2 people like this
@mreps_07 (19)
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
hmmmm i think it is just ok for a student to go to a work after school.. for them to be able to have something for their personal needs..c0z its s0 shameful to ask for an extra money to our parents for our "wants"..the only thing we can ask for our parents is for our study and no more, no less
@sajidnsr (43)
• Pakistan
4 Nov 08
Well, teenage should be made to work after school so that they can be confident and able to understand the practical world because you can perform better if you are experencied. I have also judged such people of being more responsible and hardworker who had been working in teenage. They have more mature thinking and vision towards their life than those who have been dependent on their parents.
1 person likes this
@PrincessKazzi (111)
•
4 Nov 08
i used to work when i was in school but i was never made to infact my mum tried to get me not too, but it was something i wanted to do.
it was hard but i enjoyed it. i dotn think its fair to make a teenager go out and work after school if they dont want to.
1 person likes this
@AarshayJain (38)
• India
4 Nov 08
Well, I do believe that this decision depends on everyone's personal life and it may be someone's misfortune to work after school.
After all, none would long to work after school. Too much of study whole day and then work afterwards is just too hard for anyone.
But, for a financially weak person, he may be compeled to do a job which he may not like. He maybe very burdened in life as he has to carry his family and also study side by side....
I pray god not to make anyone too misfortunate to suffer from this..
That's my say, others may oppose me. But criticism is an integral part of every discussion!!!
1 person likes this
@gbeast95 (505)
• United States
4 Nov 08
I realy disaggree with you. teenagers have this real i think tendency to get into trouble and hang out with bad people. with work, they get to expierence what they will have to do everyday after they turn 18 years old which is not really far from their age. not only that but, teenagers really seem to like money, at least mine does so when he works he really works hard. and while they are working they get more freedom spending wise. my teenager always wants tunes for his ipod he got a job and now he is happy with his little ipod with all the tunes he bought with his own money. that is why i think teenagers should be able to work during nonschool hours.
1 person likes this
@yourpriorityone (42)
• Philippines
5 Nov 08
I think its good if the student work after school if he is at legal age and its part time job. If the student work he can make money to buy himself and share to others, and keep him busy. Other student w/o job can study and make make homeworks at home but others are watching movies at malls, spending money, go to friends, chatting, play games, etc. after school. Maybe working students is not bad than to do other stuff, they can also do homework study in his remaining spare times.
@yangshuai (136)
• China
5 Nov 08
yup.i am with you.as a teenaged student,the major task is study well.their parents usually support them.and after all they are very young,period of growing.if they do jobs after school hours,maybe they will feel tired.so it's easy show when they are studying ,they are sleepy.even form a vicious circle.in the long run,for the growing and health of teenaged students,they shouldn't do that again.
1 person likes this
@sheenmadness (1286)
• Philippines
4 Nov 08
I guess it depends on the situation.It's ok for those families who can afford to send their children to school. How about those parents who can't? We should always consider our standard of living, those families who belongs to poverty line. They don't want to live a life like a hell if they only have a choice and the means to alleviate their standard of living. For me it is okay to let them work after school. That way they will learn to more responsible and manage their time very well. But if I am a parent, All I want is the best for my child I will always find ways to support their needs the best way I can.
