Should Students Have Choice to Work Throughout High School

I believe students should be granted the opportunity to work a tax paying job during high school as long as they maintain a 2.7 GPA and do not have any misconduct reported in their school records. I chose this topic because there are many things a teenager can learn from working at such a young age. The greatest lesson a child can learn from work from a "parent's perspective", is money doesn't grow on trees. There are three things work can provide students that will serve them well throughout their lives. These three things are work experience, responsibility, and provide independence.

Having a job can help students develop work experiences that will prove to be vital later in life. Working teaches students the value of a dollar. It teaches students the reward for honest work, and it instills pride. It also helps build their resumes for jobs later in their lives. Working a job in high school also teaches students how to multi-task, time management, and prioritize.

Maintaining a job teaches responsibility. As mentioned earlier, if a high school student wants to work, they have to maintain a certain GPA in order to keep their job. This should motivate students to work harder in school and stay out of trouble. Prioritizing and having responsibility are great tools that you can teach students who choose to work throughout high school.

Lastly, the ability to earn their own money provides a small level of independence to a teenager who no longer has to ask mom and/or dad for everything. High school students nowadays require a lot of resources. They have to have money to eat, whether its school lunches or McDonald's with their friends after school, they have to wear adult size clothing (in most cases), and with clothing, it has to be fashionable. It always felt better to me as a young man, to ask my parents to help me buy something instead of buying it for me. It said to them, "I am growing up. I don't need a hand out anymore, but just a little bit of help." It felt good earning the paychecks, and it made my parents feel proud to see me growing from a dependent into an independent.

As long as the students who work while they're in high school can maintain their grades and keep their priorities in order, I think it's a wonderful incentive for them to be able to work and have their own money. They learn the value of a dollar this way.