A school is to educate ppl on semi/non subjective topics, like maths science english - where the opinions of the educator shouldn't really effect the lesson being given - they are following a curriculum which dictates what is contained in the lesson. These teacher shouldn't really be responsible for passing moral and ethical lessons to the kids these should come from the family/religion/community group (i don't think religion should ever be compulsory unless it is a religious school). When the social sciences are taught (philosophy, sociology etc.) they are still following a set curriculum, and the teachers are well educated in their field as well as education so should know how to encourage development and free thought instead of telling them what to think, but these subjects are elective so if your not happy with curriculum you don't take the class.
History is a bit of an anomoly since it is pretty much written by the victor, and no matter how hard you try there will always be some bias. But the books are just as available to the parents so they can counter biased education with their own.
There is no right to enforce attendecse for a student outside of school. In aus, sport may be encouraged, but if there aren't school controlled sports grounds (which in a lot of cases there aren't) it is up to the parents as to whether to allow there child to attend.
If a person is unhappy with the way their child is educated they still have the option of home schooling or distant education, as long as they sit exams.
If a child doesn't want to learn they can sit at the back of a class and do and learn nothing, and hypothetically they shouldn't affect anybody else (doesn't usually work like that, but this is all theory). However if community service is mandatory how do you protect the kids, and as has been stated the ppl requiring care.
Although I agree that community service is a good thing that should be more encouraged amoung the young, it shouldn't come from the government or schools. That doesn't mean an elective subject shouldn't be created to discuss the benefits of community service, so that a child whos parents has no sense of community can still grow, and maybe from there move to actually helping out. But this should be the decision of the school to offer the subject and service and the choice of the kids with their parents to take the subject. If the government wants to encourrage the development of that program then more power to them.
Not that australia is better then the uk or us - we have our share of major problems, and inequalitys etc. but when it comes to community service, there has always been such a sense of reverence for our diggers, which extends to the aged community in general - that volunteering amoung kids, while not huge, certainly isn't rare. So maybe the answer is to stop treating the aged as a chore that you need to make ppl deal with and start treating them with respect.
Sorry ppl got on a bit of a stoner rant, trying to get the difference between english, science maths and compulsory community service.
Anyway
Stoned as fuck
Grinch