National Service for kids

Hi,

With the backing of Sir Michael Caine, the Tories have come up with their solution to problems with todays youth: National Service for kids.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/8608807.stm

What do people think?

SCIDB

 

How will it be funded? Will it be compulsory? I can't see any point in it unless it is.

 

yeah, that's it - if it's not compulsory the it'll be missing its target audience imo...

 

The kids that want to do this kind of stuff already do through the Princes Trust. The target audience would rather smoke skunk and sit on their arses apart from the occasional street robbery to repay their dealer. This is the only life many inner city kids know.

This just shows how out of touch Eton boy is with reality. I have worked with young offenders for years and whilst you can take them off to do something worthy, which they often enjoy, you cannot change the shitholes they have to go back to.

 

i was brought here from spain by my parents who came here in 1959, in those days you couldn't bring your ofspring with you unless you worked in the u.k. for 5 years to claim residency but they brought me here in 1968, still i kept my spanish passport witch i have up to now, in 1975 the spanish goverment required " DEMANDED" I MUST GO AND DO MY NATIONAL SERVICE, the other option they gave me that i will loose my nationally and would not go to spain for8 years on hollyday, hence i went and served 1 and a half years,learned a lot of discipline and respect for others,
nando.

 

In Korea, 2 years (not 2 months!) of compulsory national service is standard for all men. You can choose to do it from 16 - 25 I think, but you do have to do it. For some it does the world of good, but for others it is 2 years of hell that does serious damage.

If there was some way of picking out those who it will help and those it wont, then it seems good. Maybe after A-Level age, everyone who has low qualifications and no full time job should have to do it?

I watched Michael Caine's movie 'Harry Brown' yesterday, which is probably why he was chosen as the figure head. Worth a watch.

 

quote

simon, that movie i must watch, i done mine in ceuta and melilla witch are or were spanish colonies in north africa, not nice in those days,
nando.

 

My dad always said it was a complete waste of two years of his life.

Then again I was watching a couple of local young people chucking stuff aroiund the my neighbouring village hall. I nearly said something but then remembered 1) I have a bust back 2) I cannot afford a stoved in window (or two). The occassion was a good arguement for NS though.

 

Hardly surprising it was still a fascist dictatorship in 1975.

 

still it was an experience in the responsability of ones own self survival, at times not so good but it tough you independance and to relish the things in life that you take for granted, life what!..
as for facist is here with us now,
nando.

 

I am sure we would all profit from Mick Parry wading in at this point and giving us all the benefit of his wisdom and experience

 

tho, luckily he doesn't seem to taint this forum...

 

Strikes me as it has serious potential if approached in the right way. Sure, get the discipline in, but also add training in useful things like first aid, map reading mechanical skills etc. Lastly, why have them sat around whilst on training, get them to do something useful like building something useful (within the logistics groups).

So yes, could be a right mess if not thought about in the right way, but approach it with a positive attitude and you have the opportunity to give a new sense of purpose and some additional morality to the youth of our country.

 

I agree with you Mike, but the real issue is how to attract the youth. I think it should be compulsory.

 

Agreed. One year would probably be enough.

 

i agree compulsory for a year minimum,
nando.