To say NATIONAL SERVICE?! WT actual F?!

[BarbaraVineFan]

I mean...really?! Rishi really thinks that a plan to BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE will get the Tories back in? It's so ridiculous! Do you think he has in fact realised that he is shit at his job and it's actually a cunning plan to ensure that they are booted out?

I think the national service idea wasnt made in mind with the idea of a nice family whose kids are heading for uni (that'd be too similar to rishis own family). It's probably for those in the criminal justice system or vulnerable kids. The military is like a family and he might be thinking that the sharp shock of discipline and order could turn their lives around.
Personally, I have no idea what he is thinking. He's coming out with some right shite these days

It's not NEETs only. That would be a better idea. It says it will help NEETs, but it's all 18 yo.

Why don’t you and your relatives do it for one weekend a month to learn new skills now? Nothing stopping you all.

Where does it say it is only for those on welfare? What I can see says "All 18 year olds".

It is a stupid unworkable idea. And one that is of no benefit for 18 yr olds and no benefit to the country.

My DC also volunteer (as do I). My 13yo is spending his bank holiday tomorrow volunteering, out of choice. I totally get the benefits. But voluntary volunteering is different from forced volunteering, and so I'm wondering how compulsory community service for 18yos is different to the compulsory community service that they force criminals to do as a punishment.

Maybe Rishi wants to send the kids out to Lincolnshire to pick vegetables during the harvest or work in the care homes or in the NHS swabbing floors. Nice set of free labour that way because of lack of workers. (This is satirical).

Just an election gambit to appeal to the Daily Fail readers.

I mean, it’s clearly and obviously different because one is a consequence of a criminal conviction and one isn’t. I don’t know what more to say to that, really.
a national scheme offers the opportunity to open up the benefits of voluntary work for kids without parents to help them obtain them. Not a bad thing.

Countries with Mandatory Military Service 2024 (worldpopulationreview.com)

just to mess with the unemployment figures

My husband comes from a country which has national service. To be honest it sounds like a good idea, I think it works really well in his country and in other countries. And look at all the tensions in the world, it will be good to have a bit more protection. Also it gives young people a year of discipline and a year to decide what they want to do.

I think we've moved into a climate where people think they don't owe their country anything and they bash it all the time. I see nothing wrong with a year of service so you get to live in it. Also conscription isn't always army, in other countries you can volunteer elsewhere like in care homes or hospitals etc anything to help the community.

That's my opinion though I know many will disagree

I'd be interested to know how those living in rural areas not served by public transport at weekends, are expected to get to these "voluntary" placements.

I actually think it's a great idea.

If the communtiy aspect included maybe helping clean vandalism, looking after greenery areas, helping out and listening to the elderly or vulnerable in care homes or residential places. Helping grow things like vegs and flowers in community gardens. Helping in good banks and soup kitchens.

I feel it would be great to learn empathy and instill a sense of pride to help care towards your community and help out others less fortunate than ourselves. Give back to the community type thing.

I live in such an area and you would have to arrange transport as is currently done to get kids to school. But tbh there are absolutely tons of things kids could do in such areas to protect the environment - lots of charities already engaging young people to do this and it’s really popular, the summer schemes all full by end of March

The volunteering sounds good in theory but unwilling teenagers being forced to work in places with potentially vulnerable members of the public who need empathy and compassion. And all they are met with is a grumpy teenager who has been forced to be there? Sounds more bother than it’s worth for the people running the organisation

All for it, as I would guess most who work in dealing with the public would. There are also so so many lost kids with no purpose.

The older public are as a whole rude, entitled, completely ignorant of who is paying and working to support their choices and way of life. A bit of pride and connection with their country, some self respect, direction and a reality check can only be beneficial.

I cannot for the life of me think why people would be so dismissive of this. Well I can, they are all special in some way, but that’s part of the problematic attitude.

But one person commits a crime and the other person turns 18, and the consequence is the same.... Mandatory community service. How is it clearly and obviously different? Or are you saying that one cohort will be doing different work from the other?

I am an advocate of volunteering but I still think this is a stupid idea.

I think NS would be a good thing for the country. 12 weekends a year in a cushty setting, not so much. Kids need to learn resilience, discipline, respect, work ethic etc. It needs to be earlier than 18 though really, to catch them before their path is set. If the army ran it and didn't stand for any snowflake woke bollocks, we might stand a chance of becoming a decent country again.

It’s clearly and obviously different because one carries the stigma of criminal conviction and the other does not. One has criminal penalties for non compliance and the other does not. And one involves hanging out with other criminals and the other (I hope!) will not. Would you like me to go on?
as well as ordering this they should order compulsory education in the criminal justice system for all adults of voting age.

This.

But they know it’s a vote loser if the people voting actually have to do it.

Absolutely. It would be a nightmare for anyone having to manage these kids.

Its a perfectly reasonable idea and has worked well in the past.

Might do some of the kids (and parents) good to take their heads out of their a*se and so something to benefit the community and others and maybe learn something along the way.

Maybe the government can create remote admin jobsand supervisor/mentor jobs for all those they want back in work.

Yes, and maybe also lessons in manners and not being patronising and deliberately obtuse?

Not in the way that's it's being proposed. I'm all in favour of volunteering and the benefits that it can bring, but not like this.

Have they checked with the military??? I know a couple of fairly senior retired military and this is the last thing they want! In fact they have enough issues with the volunteering youngsters not being prepared, not educated enough for the roles they need - speaking with a current serving senior officer recently, he's rather raise minimum age to 21 and insist on a levels (not army I admit)