Some people think that social working can be a crucial step in the learning path of a young adult, thus making it a mandatory part of curricular activities at school. Although paying someone for things he do is important to recognize its value, working on an unpaid project may benefit students in learning new skills and being more respectful people.
These types of activities help you meet people from different environments and cultures, enriching your knowledge of the world. Moreover, you can learn new skills both in social aspects and technical ones: if you work in a shop as a seller you gain persuasive skills and you may become an expert on what the store offers. Similarly, volunteering in an environmental project, such as cleaning a local park, teaches teamwork and a sense of responsibility towards the community, qualities that are rarely taught through traditional classroom lessons.
On the other hand, not paying for an activity makes it feel less valuable, and people will tend to put less effort on doing it. Also, it is important to recognize the good work made, and money nowadays has this purpose. But care about something despite the compensation has a huge moral impact on the person you are going to be: helping others without expecting something back is considered a high valuable quality.
In conclusion, I think that introducing community work at school will add benefits to the students, as they will learn new skills and they will become better citizens knowing that helping the others is important.