The Biggest Scottish Teaching Union the EIS has called for a ban on the Armed Forces from recruiting in school for fear that this would promote a career with the Armed forces. The Union says that most of its members are pacifist and would not like a career path tat promotes young people being sent into conflict zones.
This is a ridiculous motion. The Armed Forces offer young people a wealth of career and life enhancing opportunities. The risks of joining are in the news every other day. Young people know what the risks are and should be allowed to explore a career choice in their school.
For the EIS to say that most teachers are a pacifist is a gross generalisation, and most likely inaccurate. This motion I hope will be rejected. We have already an undermanned-armed service and should be promoting a career in it. We should not shy away from explaining the sacrifices and privileges of serving Her Majesty.
We have one of the best trained if sometimes not always the best equipped Forces in the world and we should be proud of it. The Armed Forces are a key choice that should be presented to every young person in our schools. It is clear from the success of organisations such as cadets and OTC that a career in the Forces is still a popular and relevant option.
04/06/2007 at 08:55 |
I agree whole-heartedly. SOAS here in London tried to do the same this weekend. Luckily they lost. Given the levels of social decline what we need is more discipline for certain individuals – the army is an excellent way of instilling this. On that note we must not dumb down the army’s trainign processes. What a lot of these “yobs” we see around need is a large kick up the arse. The armed forces can provide this.
05/06/2007 at 19:18 |
I think in trying to stop the armed forces recruiting from schools, we are not protecting the best interst of the pupils but simply implying that they do not have the mental capacity to make this desicion for themselves. I beleive that this sort of censorship is intruding on the very foundation of our nations freedom to choice, where we live in a nany state. Whith the Governmant telling us we can’t do this and that, and now teachers also telling pupils they cant do as they choose.
This is forcing a single pacifist beleive on the schools that is only shared by that alumni of teachers. Surely by saying that pupils should not be contracted straight form school is insulting there own teaching ability, saying they have not taught these pupils well enough to be able to establish an opinion for them selves.
I would also like to say that whenever we condem the armed forces we condem all those who fought in the wars from the average man to Churchill,Drake,Nelson, national heroes, whom without these very freedoms would not have been protected