To think the army shouldn't be allowed to 'avertise' in schools?

[TheDevilWearsPrimark]

I was speaking to my aunt over the weekend she told me she was horrified to hear there had been an assembly run by the T.A at her local school.

Her 15 year old son was apparantly very excited about all they had said, and has apllied for his local cadets group.

I just can't help think that this smacks of desperation on the armies part to recruit children who otherwise feel they have little options, or simply don't really know what they want.

Those television adverts that make it all seem like a fun computer game are another step too far.

An important fator is that children aged 12+ have little clue about what they want from life, what choices they have, and wat is wrong or right. To be frank, I don'tr believe anyone really get this until late teens, and some much later, if ever.

To target children in this way is just plain wrong, and to be pouring extra resources into it at a time when our mlitary is in need is just abbhorant.

I expect that my children can learn about discpline, organisation, comradeship etc on their own terms tbh.

i think tdwp was telling people that 'sandringham' was not a good enough response to her 'underclass recruitment' [para] theory

The sooner we divest ourselves of Scotland the better then. I think we're soon going to have a situation where teenagers from England have to pay fees at Scottish universities and EU teenagers from any of the other 26 EU states won't and yet we're subsidising Scotland down here and the teachers are obviously from this a bunch of left wing pacifists.

littlelapin

I was presuming someone would pipe up about prince harry, etc etc etc

The army do an awful lot of recruiting in private schools too - it isnt just deprived areas. They need a range of people for a range of jobs.

And if you have had a pretty shite education, or arent academic, and want a practical job, the forces are a very viable option - farming is all mechanised, theres no heavy industry and manufacturing is in decline.

For all the spin, most people are savvy enough to know that training will be hard, competition for jobs within the army will be tough, and that a minority of time will be spent actually firing weapons - the majority will be spent cleaning them.

fwiw I have no real opinion of the army recruiting through schools

apologies for typing so slowly and mentioning private education!!

but Devil you are right - kids may not have much of a clue about what they want to do so why not offer the army as an option?
Yes they may have "flashy" videos etc but so what - that doesn't class it as brainwashing

I am not sure really what the problem is. The army has always gone into schools, as has the police. It is advising children of career options.

I opted to join neither.

Xenia, I know you so love to work, oh so hard.
So why not design a massive chainsaw to cut scotland and wales right away from England, then perhaps a big iron fence all around the coast so we don't ever have to think about them, or anyone else who wants to come here ever again.

Army does training days in most secondary schools (y9?). Indpendent schools generally have CCFs (Combined Cadet Force) and DS2's state comprehensive has an Air Cadets group operating from its grounds. Many schools do DoE on top of this. I don't think army days are anything new.

I don't think you should 'ban' the army from schools amongst other legal, democratically sanctioned job opportunities in this country.

But I do wish they would ease up on the adverts which make the whole thing look like an extended Outdoor Pursuits adventure.

Does anyone remember those spoof adverts? All about "join the army, see interesting places and drop bombs on them?" Can't remember which comedy it was.

They won't accept Ds even in the (highly unlikely) event that he ever wants to jpin - so i might resent time spent on something essentially discriminatory in schol!

I think the Army is wonderful, almost like an extended family...I joined the TA years ago, I loved it. The people were great, I loved the team building, the energy, I loved being on the go, outside, camping...it was very hands on. Very intresting and in a way exciting!
They not going to send anyone to war, and the training is beneficial in many aspects.

They will never send a TA to war, we had to volunteer to go.
I don't do it anymore, obviously the going away twice a month was a definate no no with kids!!

blu, my dads just retired from the airforce and he has written a bit of a biog. for my dd before he forgets it all.

His life was essentially a non stop boys own adventure.

He was taught to fly age 17, was sent to cyprus, germany, scotland, australia, singapore etc.

He displayed aeroplanes at flying shows, got dropped on tropical islands for survival exercises, hunted russian submarines off norway, retrieved crashed planes in iceland.

He had a brilliant job that he loved. He might have been less keen if hed been involved in Iraq/Afganistan though.

PinkVeto - quite (re Iraq / Afghanistan) or spent years in Northern Ireland - as many many army recruits did.

I must say I do have resentment at the investment in the armed forces.
In our local village there is a big flashy recruitment shop, right next door to an amazing grocers that is about to close due to rising rents. Perhaps half a mile away is a council estate, where the playground is falling to pieces, and the flats are no doubt similar.

And in terms of the school issue. Why would the army get a half hour assembly to tout their wares, when my friend, who asked for a slot in schools nearby to discuss nursing was turned down by most, and given just 5 minutes by the others?

DeJager - as I understand it DS's consultant is a member of the TA. She was 'commandeered' to go to Iraq.

I don't know if it was as a regular TA squaddie or because of her specialism in bone trauma. But she was ordered, and went.

Agree about fancy adverts

However, nephew in TA, he loves it (has made really nice friends), it will look great on his CV and he has learned loads bout responsibility, teamwork etc..

Joining the military is a diff thing altogether imo.

although why worry, of course all out kids will be too fat to join the army in 5-10years time.

My daughter's friend from a boy's boarding school was put through university by the army. I think they also partly subsidised some of his school fees and then on graduation he goes to Sandhurst. My children did D of E awards not CCF things and I hope they form their own political views which differ widely between the various children but I don't have a problem with the army going into school. Clearing left wing pacific teachers out of the education system might be a better aim..... I think it's the low pay, so they end up being a bit left wing, some of them. It's always been the way. Even one of my daughters commented on it - a kind of assumption (and this was at a private school) that there was one view and no one could possibly support armies, war, free markets etc etc I hope she put her views forcefully back.

On Wales we have the issue that if you live there you don't pay prescription charges and if you live in England you do. Similar differences on dental treatment. If we want to be a single country then we need the same rules on all these issues - university fees, NHS charges etc otherwise it's not fair and the English will get resentful and we'll take action. Apparently the oil technically belongs to the Faroe Islands who say they wouldn't vote to join Scotland if there were break away. We might have to send English soldiers up there to keep the Scots out!