Not happy my 13 year 's class old had recruitment presentation from armed forces today

Whoops, sorry, Iggi, I didn't mean to post twice or be rude about implying you weren't really a teacher--I meant to erase that bit but was distracted by son forgetting something and having to run after him.

A couple of weeks ago I got to go and visit my dh who is currently on a 4 month detachment in the Falklands. Was an amazing experience, saw some brilliant wildlife etc and an opportunity I probably wouldn't have had if dh wasn't in the forces- thats just one of the perks,Iggi.
Like Scaryteacher, my dh wasn't from a poor or uneducated background- he joined the Raf after getting his A levels,and he's very clever.

Iggi - have you ever thought they don't want to come to your school as your cooking is so bad?

Iggi, the forces don't want poorly educated white-working class fodder. It's a highly professionalised service now.

Are you really a teacher? You sound a little partisan.

Iggi, the forces don't want poorly educated white-working class fodder. It's a highly professionalised service now.

Are you really a teacher? You sound a little partisan.

I haven't been to a school presentation, no, but I have been to one at a local youth group. The possibility of killing or being killed was not mentioned.

I am very glad that my DCs don't go to your school, Iggi where staff make decisions based on personal prejudices and don't think that young people can think things out for themselves. I was prepared for parents to think that DCs are impressionable blank slates, but I thought that teachers would accord them some reasoning powers of their own.
I agree with scaryteacher.

You stereotype methinks Iggi.

Firstly, this was an RN presentation, so NOT the Army. There are 3 services, all distinct and different. The Navy are the ones that go to sea in the ships and submarines. The RAF fly the planes and the Army fight on land. Have we got that?

Whilst the Navy (apart from the RM) do background work in Afghanistan, they are rarely involved in up close and personal fighting. The Falklands and some action around the Gulf were the last real shooting wars the RN was in, and the Falklands was a long time ago now.

The Forces don't want to indoctrinate people Iggi - they can think all for themselves and on their own, and lots of them are really quite clever. You both work for the same employer, HMG. You are both paid from the public purse. If they are not good to work for, as they are govt funded, the same then applies to you. Maybe you need to look at your own legitimacy to teach the crap that this government puts out via Citizenship, and the fact that you as a teacher are complicit in the dumbing down of the GCSEs. That's why lots of people use the private system.

I hope that you don't let your prejudices colour your attitude towards any staff members or students who have relatives and parents serving in HM Forces.

In fact, I would not want my ds to work with, or be taught by, some of the teachers I used to teach with, as I found some of their views very difficult to stomach.

Many young people CAN think through their decisions - my dh was 18 when he joined up, as was my db. Both have good salaries and a full, busy and intellectually challenging professional life. Both have got their Masters degrees whilst serving...and lastly, neither were poor with low aspirations; they weighed up what they wanted to do after A levels and went for it. Both were service kids and knew the downsides as well as the up of being in the Forces. I am immensely proud of them both.

I wonder how many servicemen you actually know; or how much you really know about the whole spectrum of what the Armed Forces do. Perhaps you need to do some research before you make a judgement call about them.

If a school invites someone in to talk to their students, we are saying we think this would be a good organisation for them to work for - it legitimises them, IYSWIM. I wouldn't allow Macdonalds in to indoctrinate them either. Congrats on your free-thinking children, but EVERYONE is susceptible to advertising to some extent, and many young people aren't great at thinking out all the implications of their decisions. Do the talk in 6th year, if you really must.

That is fair enough katiestar-however there is nothing wrong in them getting a balance with the other side. DCs are capable of making their own judgements. I think that people underestimate teenagers.

He had to find the office and get invited to the presentation-they weren't at school or university.

I am not anti armed-forces Pisces-M.i recognise the need for them.It doesn't change the fact that I will do my damnedest to brain wash them against joining up.

Have you been to one of the PR presentations then Seeker? I have never been to one and they haven't done one in any of the local schools, to my knowledge. I would be very surprised if they all did the same one anyway. DS1 went to a presentation -he thought it a very fair one.

I suggest that you read the whole thread Iggi-there are very sensible posts, from jcscott and scaryteacher in particular.
I will leave you to it, but I do think that people ought to let their DCs make up their own minds about things and not be forever telling them what they think. Mine are free thinkers so I don't get frightened that someone is going to brainwash them with a simple talk about career opportunities in the armed services.

My whole point is that if the Services told the whole story when they do their PR thing in schools I would be happy with that - but they don't.

Sorry, haven't read all of thread. Armed forces are NOT allowed to do presentations at my school, ie if they ask us we say no. Totally inappropriate. They'd love to get in too, lots of cannon fodder poor, working class white males without many prospects.

So I want my babies shot and bombed?!!

My whole point is that you don't own your DC, body and soul. They may disagree! They may want different things out of life. It seemms very much as if 'mummy is always the oracle'and the DC is expected to to have the same opinion. I would rather mine didn't join the army but if they wanted to I would support them. I would have expected them to have thought it out-there are lots of advantages. Have you read the entire thread katiestar?

Getting shot and bombed while you further American interests is not something I want for my babies.

I think the core purpose Seeker is to keep the peace and defend people's rights to peace!

The core purpose of banking is not killing people. The core purpose of the army is. They may not do very much of it, and some may not do it at all, but when it comes down to it, that's what the army is for. I would be happy for them to come to schools as part of a careers programme if they made this clear.

Sorry-getting carried away 101!!

If it is censorship then it makes career advice impossible. I don't want mine to work in banking, so I could say how dreadful to get banks recruiting-don't let them in schools. I don't want them to be deep sea divers or pathologists or 100 and 1 things. HOWEVER it is up to them.

Why Katie? The Armed Forces are alive and well and part of your community. The talk may have been by a Dad at the school. I really loathe all this ghetto-isation of the Armed Services. They shop in Tesco and Waitrose. Their wives teach your kids; they pay tax like you; they use the same services as you; they run scouts and cubs; they are human beings for god's sake. Their kids probably play with yours. The last time I looked dh didn't have horns or a tail! Grow up and get a life.

Why? Don't you want career advice or do you want it censored?

YANBU I would have ben furious too.