Some people suggest that children do not understand the world of work and schools should make all teenagers spend a short time working as well as studying academic subjects. To what extent do you agree?

Graduation from university or college and stepping into the working world is a big milestone in every person’s life. For a lot of people that is the first job, through which they learn how to behave with colleagues and bosses, how to use their income or pay taxes. Therefore, a part of society believes it should be mandatory that people work for a short period of time during the teenage years while still in school, in order to get to know how the world of work functions. On one hand, this isn’t a good idea because teenagers should be able to enjoy their youth, spend more time with friends and family, and lastly, they already have too much stress because of their education and constant studying. First of all, students from thirteen to nineteen years of age are still young, and they should be able to do what most of their peers around the world do: read, play sports or video games, spend time outside. Moreover, this part of their life is crucial for socializing, and thus it shall be spent in the company of their friends, siblings and parents. Finally, children this age are exposed to stress and even anxiety because of obligations related to school and studying, thereby a job could cause them to worry even more, which may lead to serious problems with mental health. On the other hand, the advantages of teenagers entering the working world include learning how the work enviroment looks like and how it functions, how to use money, and how to become independent. Firstly, because of the fact that the work sphere is complicated and even confusive for young people, they should get to know it earlier, which will reduce the fear and anxiety they can feel after graduating and before getting their first job. Secondly, this could also help them develop their spending, saving and investing habits when it comes to money, as children are rarely aware how much their parents have to work to provide them everyday needs. At the end, this will help their feeling of independence which could emerge earlier than it usually does, due to their gained knowledge about the work environement, wages and other adult obligations. In conclusion, I believe that there are more advantages and possible benefits of teenage children spending a short period of time working, and I agree this should be introduced to the education system because of the abovementioned arguments.