Comments on: Recruiting for the army in schools?

By: McShabby

McShabby — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 10:24:25 +0000

I think the main issue here is that if you say to a 15/16 year old that he or she can get a good paying job that will set them on a career path with the oppourtunity to see the world, along with the added bonus of not really needing any qualifications, then perhaps we shouldn’t allow recruiters to be waving job prospects infront of kids just about to do their GCSE’s. I don’t have a problem with the forces as I have several family members who are serving currently, but we don’t allow the police to recruit in schools or the fire service or any number of different institutions. So just because some people think it might be a good idea to leave recruiting out of schools doesn’t mean they are unpatriotic. They just realise that offering very young adults a quick fix to independence might best be kept out of the assembley hall. And besides, there are enough adverts on TV, the internet and public transport that if they really want to join up they know where to go

By: John

John — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:34:46 +0000

Ruth said, “Not all young people are misguided, mis-behaved, unruly and often obnoxious, rude and arrogant.”

No one has said that they are! Whilst the loony left NUT are all for teaching much younger children that same sex sex is normal at an age when they should not know about such things they claim that 15/16 year olds are too young to understand what could happen to them if they decide that serving Queen and Country is what they want.

Please, people, get a reality check.

John O’

By: Ruth

Ruth — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:57:19 +0000

Not all young people are misguided, mis-behaved, unruly and often obnoxious, rude and arrogant. However, recent studies have shown that many are neglected and unhappy. Is it then fair to send them off to a gruesome war when they may not come back or come back mutilated? It would be better to send the people who made the decision to go to war. Send the recruiters to Parliament. How many of the MPs have children in the armed forces? How many would have voted to go to war if they had?

By: JB

JB — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 10:22:45 +0000

On a regimental website i visit someone had left these two paragraphs – I think it just about covers it all.

I would like to thank my teachers for teaching me how to read, write and speak English.

I would also like to remind today’s teachers, that 326,000 UK soldiers and 62,000 UK civilians lost their lives in the Second World War so that they could continue to teach this nation in English.

All the best,
Stay safe,
JB.

By: Maggie

Maggie — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 00:49:56 +0000

I do not agree with the National Union of Teachers - where it would seem members are so entrenched in being so ‘Politically Correct’ at all times that they miss the actual reality in life and afraid to speak out.

Our misguided, mis-behaved, unruly and often obnoxious, rude and arrogant youths we get from schools would benefit from joining the forces, so what is the real problem?

We are nurturing what seems to be an ‘accepted’ unsocial and deluded generation of both males and females - most of whom think the State owes them a living - I do have knowledge of this.

They feel it is great to not have to work so they can stay in bed, draw regular money, get easy loans - and the latest bandwagon is to convince ‘whoever’ that their child has ‘an attention deficit syndrome whatsit’ and then they get £135 per week as well!

Give me a child and I could be rich and not have to work. I am sure there are children that have a real problem, but from my experience I feel there really are no proper checks made.

These are situations we and our Government are nurturing, so, I ask myself, how can the simple act of a ‘Company’ showing their employment options which are on offer and available, be seen as ‘luring’ people from deprived areas? What a load of utter tosh!

Perhaps if I encouraged them to join my Class of students I would be charged of ‘incitement to poach’?

When is this country going to stand up for all it values and believes in? We should act just as other countries do, and simply protect it, end of story!

So please, lets have some commonsense instead of this stupid ‘political correctness’ rubbish - which, cheeky smile, is oh so, so lovely to the ears of those that would and do benefit from it!

This is the United Kingdom and we should indeed defend it - if we don’t and are over run, then blaming the National Union of Teachers won’t really help will it? - it could be a tad too late I suspect!

By: Matthew

Matthew — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 22:47:42 +0000

As the former room mate of the son of an Army Planning Office employee, I couldn’t possibly comment.

At my boarding school here in New ZEaland for decades it has been going on too.

By: George C

George C — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 21:04:20 +0000

@ Rob-
“People are so busy jumping on the apologist anti-Iraq war bandwagon, that they seem to have forgotten that the armed forces are the only thing standing between us (or those we choose to defend) and the whim of anyone who wishes to throw their weight around on the international stage.”

I don’t think anyone has forgotten that the armed forces are necessary. Again, that was not my point. In my opinion, the reasons for going to war in Iraq were misleading, almost to the point of lying. It would be nice to believe that the armed forces are used for the greater good of the world, to remove dictators, etc, but IMHO, this is simply not the case. I do not believe that the war in Iraq would not have happened if it was not an oil rich region. But that is a debate for a completely different blog. If potential recruits are not being told the full story at school, or otherwise, then they are being misled.

There are a lot of people writing on this blog who have served in the forces, or are planning to, and I have nothing but respect for them. In many of their comments, it seems that as recruits, the job was well represented and they got the job that they were expecting, and that’s great. However, it may be possible that recruitment techniques may have changed since then, and that the forces are not being accurately represented in schools. If that is the case, as per the teachers’ evaluation, then there is clearly a problem, as we don’t want people in the forces that are expecting something else.

A much more serious problem than that posed by certain rogue states is the problem of energy security. When the oil fields run dry, we’re going to have a crisis that no amount of firepower can help us defeat. If we don’t prepare for this, then the proverbial will really hit the fan. The current government aren’t helping us much by imposing top-up fees and cutting back on research.

By: M W Milburn

M W Milburn — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:45:31 +0000

I am disgusted by this motion and by the ludicrous sentiments of the NUT. The Army carries out the will of the Government (ie us) under the ultimate authority of the Crown. The Armed Forces are here to defend us. They must be kept up to strength and, like the police, must be allowed to advertise itself among the young in order to offer them the opportunity to serve their country. For the NUT(s)to try to deny them this opportunity is subversive to our national interests. If you wish to rail against Iraq etc, kick out this rotten government, not the Army. Shame on you all.

By: U.S

U.S — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:00:18 +0000

As a currently serving member of the forces it’s good to see the vast majority of commenters supporting the forces. Perhaps the NUT instead of slating the forces for recruiting should be trying to recruit ex-members of the forces to teach.

Very interesting study at http://cps.org.uk on “Troops to Teachers”. Apparently it has worked very well in States.

By: John Best

John Best — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:40:26 +0000

I am a teacher and dislike the negative attitude that the NUT are taking on anything. We have had many professionals including the army into school. So whats wrong with that.
The NUT are also demanding 10% pay rises. Have they heard of wage inflation.
Be serious NUT!