To think compulsory national service for young people could be helpful for many?

[Jane379]

The recent thread on benefits generational cycle got me thinking...could compulsory national service period help some young people, including ones like these?

Or would it make things worse?

The National curriculum and post 18 education need a radical overhaul. This would probably make a more positive difference.

Why do you think that... Why do the ones who have their shit together have to bow to the level of the ones who haven't. They had to put up with their disruption all through their education... And now they have to give up a year of their lives to make them feel better.

Its always ppl too old for it and who wouldnt have to do it who tout this as a solution

Absolutely not! Create a decent education system and provide young people with true opportunities rather than waste money on this retrograde step.

Why should kids who have their goals and plans laid out have their lives disrupted by this? My Dd is 17 got a year at college left then has plans for university after. Her schooling was already impacted due to covid I'd rather not derail her plans any more.
What would be helpful is more home economic lessons in school mandatory for everyone, basics like cooking, banking running a household, life skills in general as a lot of kids leave school not knowing how this works.

No

I think national service is a positive thing.

It works well in other countries, and teaches young people discipline, resilience, teamwork and respect.

I think that’s a great thing for all youths, including SEN.

Poor kids as cannon fodder?

My children wanted to go to uni, my eldest spent 3 years in sixth form so he wouldn't have been happy having to accommodate something else as well! He didn't graduate until he was 23 as it was, and went straight into a job so it would have been a setback if anything.
I do think there should be something in place to prevent young people dropping out altogether, but it's not that.

Life skills should be taught by PARENTS. It's called PARENTING. Problem is there seems to be generations of people who shouldn't have bloody well become parents in the first place, because they can't be arsed to actually bring up their kids to become productive members of society.

Schools are for education, they can't do everything that parents should be doing on top!

Sunak proposed this. It went down like a sack of the proverbial.

National service is incredibly expensive, which is why it stopped. We can’t afford it.

Address why they are NEETs to begin with.
I don't think forcing them into the armed forces is the answer.

Agreed. Why stop with young people? There are plenty of entitled older people who conveniently missed National Service the first time round and could probably benefit from a bit of grind themselves. Funny how compulsory 'character-building' always seems to be something people want for younger generations.

This i agree with not everyine is suited to academic qualifications but that doesnt mean we should write kids off.

So long as you go first OP

This.

The young people the OP wants to scapegoat will have extenuating circumstances meaning they are exempt, and it'll be those able to work in a regular job doing national service.

I had a life skills class growing up and it was very educational. Even though my parents were very hands on (had me late and retired early) it thought me stuff that my parents didn't, like sewing.
Kids have food tech in high school they could just incorporate it all into this lesson.
Its all well and good saying that parents should be doing this but clearly they aren't, so should we just let these kids flounder and the cycle just repeat itself?

Well thankfully you cant force my non academic 19 year old into the armed forces as hes also a type 1 diabetic and he would fail the medical

It is my understanding that the armed forces are not always keen to take youngsters on, on these terms.

I wouldn’t have wanted to have to do it

Which other countries?

Would it work well for you? No need to be ageist - everyone under 70 not in an essential occupation should do their bit.

Or would you be too special?

Great opportunity to post this again

Why? Are young people not allowed to just live their life like all of us older people were? Would you have welcomed it at 18? Terrible idea and for no purpose.

Agreed. It's not automatically military based either, it can mean so much more than that.