EVERY 16-year-old in Britain could be signed up for 'National Service' scheme

[SerendipityJane]

Presumably their first "civic exploration" could be to rebuilt their schools...

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12463729/Penny-Mordaunt-backs-National-Service-automatically-enrols-teens.html

NCS is great. All of mine have done and loved it, they are all still friends with people they met on it. But it shouldnt be compulsory.

That said, I agree with PP that it should be better marketed, many people simply dont know it exists.

National Service was 2 years in the military, sometimes being sent to war zones, not a bit of volunteering.

Can you imagine making a 16 year old who doesn't want to do voluntary service do it?

Kid gets sent to the local charity shop. And just sits grunting that they can't be bothered.

How does that help anyone?

@Lisbeth50 so was it compulsory?

I used to do some work with NCS and have heard this exact thing from literally hundreds of parents and teenagers. The stories I have heard directly from them about how it completely changed lives are quite incredible.

They advertise as much as their budget allow but a lot of it comes down to the schools, many don’t do the bare minimum to promote it despite what they are supposed to do.

Yes. It came into force in January 1949 and meant that all physically fit males between the ages of 17 and 21 had to serve in one of the armed forces for an 18-month period.

for under 83 yr olds though?

So many levels of bleugh I can't even begin.

What? 🥹

Ah good idea, if your child’s able bodied but disabled, they can provide my respite finally ( joking!). But seriously I have two boys at Sen school, how the fuck would this work? One has got degree potential and a very high IQ but severe dyspraxia and a severe language disorder. The other has a normal IQ but not mild end of ASD. Neither are independent. So where do you draw the line for this? Able bodied? Clever? They tick both boxes. Able to talk to a stranger? Can stand on one leg for a millisecond? Neither tick that box. Ride a bike or swim? Can’t do either. Buy a bus ticket? No chance.

during the Second World War my son would have been shot as traitor

is that 30 hours on top of their school week? That’s so much!

Bring back discipline in schools. 16 is too late.

I had to do a few hours of community service for school when I was a teen. i met a fabulous woman at the care home I went to, got through 3 husbands and lived a fabulous full life. I’ll never forget that.

I think it’s a good idea, it’s not politicians that drive community feeling, it’s grassroots. I think getting kids to do something that connects them with people they may otherwise not have met is a good thing.

By 16 it’s too late for the children with shit parents. The damage has been done sadly and 2 weeks is not going to fix 16 years of having terrible role models.

How does this vary from NCS?
My oldest did NCS and he was seriously underwhelmed, he had already done similar things in Cubs etc. The later weeks were poorly organised. The providers were pretty clueless. It would be better to put government money into organisations like DofE, Scouts,Outward Bound that are already doing this stuff and get schools to send kids.

Did I say anywhere that it was a bit of volunteering?

Where’s the money coming from ?
TAs and teachers cut, Surestarts and Connexions cut, schools literally crumbling and yet money for conscription ?

You perhaps missed the bit about every 16 year old (or their parents as and when required) opting out.

But surely ever parent would opt out?

The National Civic Service is exactly that really. Local, national, and sometimes international schemes enabling young people to contribute something to society (if they want to, and for 2 weeks)

No, it's a total of lessons and independent work. But it's quoted as "minimum" so I assume it will be more, especially as the school is also known for mandatory school holiday homework.

Dunno really.
I don't see why they should.

They could try but obviously there would be clear criteria for successful opt out. I wouldn’t have done, it would have done mine the world of good.

Unless I am wrong, and I have reread the article, the scheme being talked about involves volunteering, similar to DofE etc as pp have said.

National Service which men who are now over 83 would have done was full time military service.

Absolutely not. There are many hard working, volunteering, caring, studious, lovely young people who would utterly crumble in that environment. I would have protected mine in any way possible from it.