No - it's not required (actually doing one vs learning recovery I mean).
I heard from a long time CFI that when it was, at that point around 40-50% of PPL students dropped out of the course - true?
My instructor took me up and did an hour of spins in a 152 Aerobat - great fun - entry into and recovery of the spin was fine, it was always the pull out which got me with the G loading - wierd sensation.