National service isn't the answer. AIBU?

Why did a Conservative defence minister himself think it was such a bad idea only a few days ago? See attached

anyone who works in retail already have done a form of national service in my eyes.

Compulsory service in a customer-facing role would certainly do some people a lot of good.

My dad did it, he loved it. I’ve had patients who did it and wanted to enlist but they had fiancées who wanted a non military life.

But aren't millennials the perfect, aware, environmentally conscious, unbiased savours of the planet?
But I expect you believe that's nothing to do with how they were raised.
Lazy ageist shite.

If anything, they should make all young people work a year in a customer-facing job.

And, yes, I have done this myself.

Quite. And of course it brings out the " all old people are shit" crowd and MN loves that.
Late father ( born 1918) was career military. Hated NS because the recruits were an unwilling waste of his time.

Oh I am with you 100%. It's a shit idea. Elderly folk may be beyond annoying but they retain a shrewd cunning, and are they really going to get groups of youths organized and hand them guns so that they can form packs like feral stealth weasels and hunt down the oldies as they shuffle about with their Zimmer frames preparing their Horlicks and Tunnock's Tea Cake of an evening? No, I say! As for millennials, it's hard to spell properly, that's all I've got.

Also, why in hell has Horlicks not got an apostrophe and Tunnock's has. Has the world gone mad?

There are so many more things that could be done that might actually be of benefit to teenagers.

On the subject of safeguarding, another problem with the Tory proposal is that anything remotely close to universal would also inevitably be some slapdash shit, probably contracted out to Serco. There isn't a chance in hell I'd trust the state to safeguard my DC on quasi compulsory residentials.

Given the state of the world at the moment any changes like this unfortunately make me worry about a future where exactly that happens and I worry the govt are planning accordingly. I know this sounds a bit tin hat but I'm very anxious about the future when it comes to our children and war

@PinkCherryBlossoms yes - they just need to actually advertise and promote the existing scheme and those who are interested can sign up.
Schools/social services etc could also identify pupils they think might benefit from it and encourage them to sign up (but it would be better for some to do this at a much earlier age like 12 or 13).
Ironically a lot of teens would prefer to spend their post 16 summer doing part time jobs. Many want to be working and earning from age 14/15. They want something to do, gain some responsibility and get some money.
This used to be the norm for many teens but it's so hard for under 18s to get jobs now. People just won't employ them due to so much extra red tape around safeguarding. Obviously working teens need to be kept safe and not exploited but it seems to have just made under 16s/18s non employable.
The government should instead fund more youth clubs/groups. Give teens somewhere to go and something to do. At lot are put off by the formality of things like Scouts (uniforms, rituals like the promise etc) but a more casual youth clubs with similar activities would be brilliant.

Which is a stupid idea. Obviously the Tories don't have the time to implement this before the next GE anyway so it's a totally theoretical point, but they've failed to explain what exactly is going to happen when people who've not opted out also don't turn up. As if we have the resources to create any kind of workable system or sanction.

Exactly - and aside from funding the scheme, where are we going to find the resources for enforcing the compulsory nature of it?

Apparently there is no money for teaching assistants, paying benefits at a level people can afford food, youth clubs, increasing student loans to match public sector rises even, doctors, repairing buildings, youth clubs, funding prisons adequately so can't see there would be money for national service unless it was funded by private equity.

The volunteering abroad thing makes me uncomfortable too.
If a young person wants to volunteer to help with children’s literacy, their local schools and special need schools would appreciate the help.
Poverty tourism gives me the ick.

https://amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/nov/14/orphans-cambodia-aids-holidays-madonna

Interesting article regarding volunteering in other countries.

You know there's a vast chasm of middle ground between Peru and terrorism grannies right?
People who are willfully ignorant about the damage these schemes do have absolutely no business trying to take the moral high ground. Educate yourself. You're not doing young people (or peruvians) any favors by letting them believe they're doing a good deed.
General rule, if you wouldn't or couldn't do it here, don't do it elsewhere.

Why would you think that?
You can search me if you like. English teacher, anti-ageist, bit if style and beauty, lots of telling SpaG police off for humiliating people. Etc.

My dad loved his National Service, he was all jabbed up to go to Korea but ended up not going. He had 2 years continuing to learn his trade, learned to drive & said he was glad he got chance to do it. Maybe it could be an option for young people who haven't found employment or training & ones who are in danger of ending up in prison, teach them a trade & give them education.

In my native country we had a compulsory National service until 1995.
When young boy reached 19 years age, he had to go to service for 2 years .
It’s true that it turn boys into men. I think it’s needed very much.
it taught youngsters to be more responsible, independent and reliable.

I'd rather people like him in my sphere than people who think like you (edited here for typo) tbf.

What do your children do for others?

(Of any country - I like to think the ones I'm teaching /bringing up aren't quite so closed minded as to think only Peruvians should volunteer in Peru)

And you know nothing about this child. What life he's had, or will have. Or why he's decided to do it. But for whatever reason he's doing it, he didn't have to. He could have hung around on his scooter down the side of Asda terrifying the elderly. Is that the contribution you like teenagers to make? Is that chip on your shoulder weighing you down that you go that low?

Absolutely not. The funny thing is that the boomers who peddle this shit never had to do it themselves. See also criticism of millenials, you fucking raised them!

He speaks English, Spanish and French. He isn't teaching anyone to speak English, I'm not sure where you got that from.
As far as I know, he's working in Spanish. He's volunteering on a literacy programme. The children he's working with I doubt have televisions.
But, hey! What do I know. I'm sure really that the reports he sends back are faked and he's really doing the Ed Sheeran thing and getting himself photographed holding poor brown babies.

Now behave yourself.