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

185 replies

isitmyturn · 23/09/2009 18:05

DS1 had a talk by someone from the Navy today. My gut reation is to be horrified with visions of my PFB going off to war.
I had no idea that "careers" advice started so soon and in this form?
He's just into year 8, very academic but worried that he doesn't know what he wants to do career wise. DH and I have tried to tell him not to worry, just work hard for now and he doesn't need to make a career choice until he's older.

OP posts:
deaddei · 23/09/2009 20:37

All avenues go into schools in yr 9 - police, charities, parents who talk about their jobs-I'd be more concerned if a someone from a City bank talked to mine [hmmm]
Some schools do cadets as well.

Sidge · 23/09/2009 19:39

A talk from someone in the Navy at the age of 13 is very unlikely to be a recruitment presentation. Do you know what the content was? I would have imagined it was more of a "day in the life of" sort of presentation.

I don't see an understanding of the Armed Forces as a bad thing (but then I am slightly biased) as I believe an understanding of the military has a place in relation to politics, world news, history etc.

dogonpoints · 23/09/2009 19:36

How many other organisations are in giving careers talks? That's what I'd want to know. That would affect whatI thought of it

spongebrainmaternitypants · 23/09/2009 19:35

I understand your anxiety - the armed forces do tend to portray the job as amazingly exciting and glamorous which, at the moment, seems to be misleading advertising .

As the mum of one DS and another on the way, I watch in agony all these young men being blown to pieces and would also be deeply concerned if my boys wanted to follow suit.

Don't know what the answer is though .

notgettinganyyounger · 23/09/2009 19:32

seems very reasonable to me. I understand what you mean about worrying that your child might go to war if he enlists in the forces, but nopthing wrong with careers advice at that age.

Sometimes for certain jobs you will need to have particular qualifications at gcse or above, and the earlier they know what is required the earlier they can choose which qualifications to do.

lou031205 · 23/09/2009 19:31

Many scholarship programmes are taken up at around 16, so a child who seriously wants it needs to know early so they can prepare.

piscesmoon · 23/09/2009 19:28

I think that they ought to have far more career advice so it seems a good idea. They are not recruiting, I can remember having a talk from all sorts of people - it didn't mean that it appealed to me.DCs do have minds of their own!

5Foot5 · 23/09/2009 19:19

Well they can't actually recruit him at 13 can they?

It's just a careers presentation. Don't stress over it.

isitmyturn · 23/09/2009 18:37

Just the idea of the forces trying to recruit 13 year olds.

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PeachesMcLean · 23/09/2009 18:14

I'm not clear, is it armed forces presentations or any career presentations you object to?