To bring back national service?

[Joogle]

I don't mean in the military sense, more something along the lines of community work. I know in Norway they have compulsory national servicewhich does involve military service but the option of non-militray service as well.

I just feel with the recent riots something needs to be done to stop a bored generation within a doom and gloom era feeling alienated from the rest of the population and that working within their local community therefore feeling more part of it and giving them a wider sense of social responsibility could be the answer, AIBU?

I would be fine with my boys having to do 2 years NS at say 18.

I would be really happy for my 2 boys & 1 girl to spend a year doing community work. It would certainly beat bing drinking and hanging about on the streets - I do realise not all young people do this btw!

And again, who is going to pay for it? Are you going to pay them?

There would have to be reassurances that all of the problems identified when there were allegations of sexual assualts, bullying and the 'suicicides', amonst young recruites, had been fullly sorted out. Army life isn't perfect and to throw damaged problem youths into it would be disastorous.

SiamoFottuti - I don't know, other countries do it but I'm not sure how they fund it, but I don't think it would cost more than jobseekers allowance or minimum pay for young apprentices

I thin some sort of community service for maybe a year would go some way to just giving some of these people something to do. I also think they should have to work in mixed groups so that people meet contemporaries from other walks of life not just in huge groups with their mates. I do think they should be paid though however small

OP what exactly is 'community work', then. The kids binge drinking probably have weed habits and would be exempt.

Birdsgottafly - I'm not suggesting military service

Well money is going to need to be spent in any case, NS is as good of an idea as simply throwing money into deprived communities and hoping for the best.

Personally I don't think there is anything that could eradicate angry youths at all, I think that there will always be problems in all societies, perhaps it is time to try something different.

My son does have a very wide social understanding,he learnt it from me and at school and within his peer group.
I think the majority of teenagers in this country are the same, it just takes some bad apples rioting and every teen is blamed.

noddyholder - Agree

I don't think doing some sort of community work and going to uni are mutually exclusive. People can do both!

Jobseekers allowance is how much? Enough for these young people to live independently? I think not. So you would take young people away from having real jobs where they might support themselves and make them work for low benefit rates. And this is meant to teach them something about the value of the work ethic?

LadyBeagleEyes - I'm not blaming, just looking for a way to make out society better and create more social awareness

My ds also has a wide social understanding but we cannot pick out who will do it and who won't! That is the whole point it is a shared experience that bonds people no matter where you come from.

Joogle-it would cost alot more than JSA, you would have to force young people to do it, to reach certain ones. You cannot, under the law, without a big change in the law, stop welfare benefits, leglislation comes from the EU. Some of those rioters etc are already parents, they are not all teenagers.

Birds there is more to the Military than the Army, episodes of bullying in all 3 services are few and far between.

Ginger-but that has happened when those there have wanted to be there and are not already involved with criminal activity. How many teenagers are there in the UK? Do you honestly think it is workable? We couldn't use the 3 services, there wouldn't be room to house people, or co-ordinate it. All three services are having their funding cut. We will be equiping the Army with shovels to fight wth, to pay for it.

Do you know what seems to 'create more social awareness', the programmes that take, posh/better off kids and put them to live in disadvantaged cities/poor countries for a couple of months. The kids realise things are not as easy as they were told, to fix, and usually come away with respect for their peers who have to exsist there and some, being well educated, do have answers.

Perhaps a big swap houses programme, so certain sections can see what bollacks they talk?

We have to start somewhere though. People could do it post 16 effectively extending full time education because it would be educating. Some of these people never work in a team or meet anyone outside their immediate vicinity.It would take a shift in parenting though I agree because they would have to remain at home which isn't always a bad thing.Obviously some of these teens have parents who are living this way but we can't just give up on them too. Eventually good and respect filters through.

As I stated before, it wouldn't work, regular service personnel don't want it. I was just pointing out there are 3 Services, not just the Army, people tend to forget that fact. Sailors and Airmen are no less important than Soldiers.

And I'll ask yet again - if it hasn't been possible to make these kids from certain sectors of society go to school, then who is going to make them turn up to do all this lovely volunteering work, and how?

The only incentive for some is £.

grubbalo - I guess it would be do it or lose the wage/benefit it entails. Hopefully the social pressure from peers and the local community would be an incentive. I think if they felt part of it and could see they were personally making a difference it could work.

It would also be good for the other end of the spectrum too those who have had it all and also have no idea about the real world and what living in a community and democracy means. I would love my ds to do something practical and worthwhile all the A levels in the world don't teach some things.