Brown backs army cadet corps plan for schools

[Morris Onions]

Controversial plans for pupils in comprehensive schools to sign up for military drills and weapons training are being backed by Gordon Brown in an attempt to improve the relationship between the public and the armed forces.

A major review of the military's role in British society says that encouraging more state secondary school pupils to join the cadet corps would improve discipline among teenagers while helping to improve the public perception of the army, navy and air force.

However, anti-gun campaigners say that teaching teenagers to shoot would exacerbate the growing problem of gun crime among youngsters.

The government-commissioned review of civil and military relations, led by Quentin Davies, the Labour MP, was 'alarmed' at the number of schoolchildren who had no idea of military life. Davies wants secondary school pupils to receive basic military training as a means of developing greater affiliation with the armed forces.

Davies, who was a Tory MP before defecting to Labour last year, said his controversial proposals to expand the cadet structure throughout the comprehensive system were firmly backed by the Prime Minister, the Children's Secretary Ed Balls and defence ministers.

'The Prime Minister is very, very keen on the opportunities represented by cadet forces and we will be making a number of recommendations to increase the use of this superb national asset,' he said.

snip

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2271362,00.html


Running out of volunteers to fight their illegal immoral filthy murdering wars so they're trying to get the kiddies.

Scum.

[T_i_B]

1. This sort of idea gets floated once every so often

Usually under the guise of national service of some description. Personally I think that the uniformed organizations, be it the Scouts, Boys Brigade or Army Cadets are enough (and they are voluntary!) but there you go.

[non sociopath skin]

2. I would maintain, M'Lud, that there is quite a difference between ...

... the Scouts, the BB and Forces Cadets.

The first two may be viewed as para-military. But there is nothing "Para" about the latter.

Steve Sinnott of the NUT and Cold, Grey Chuck Heston died within 24 hours of each other. But it's easy to see which is likely to have the more lasting influence on NuLab education policy.

Kids knifing each other? No problem! Let's teach them how to use guns ...

The Skin

[T_i_B]

3. Boys Brigade....Para-military??

:rofl:

Now I don't know about the Boys Brigade in the North East but in my experience BB is much, much more Salvation Army then real army. You might as well be accusing the Woodcraft folk of being a paramilitary organization.

[Briar]

4. The Skin

was referring to the third of the organisations listed. And he is right. Though I have a problem with the Christian tendency to use militaristic metaphors (while condemning other religions which display the same tendency).

[non sociopath skin]

5. Thanks, Briar.

"The latter" does usually mean the last one, I think!!!

The Skin