ARmy Rumour SErvice

Originally Posted by zovat

As an ex Military School kid, I think the idea has some serious merit - however the RAEC no longer exists, and the ETS is undermanned, so how are they going to make it work?
They are talking about using ex forces as teachers - no big deal, there are already a lot of ex forces personnel who have gone into that career, but who is going to actually run the school?
If it's the local authority, the teachers will be hamstrung by liberal lefties saying you can't discipline the kids, so the benefit is lost.
If it's the MOD - where is the money going to come from? and are we going to expand the ETS back to the old roles of the RAEC? or even have a "Reserve Forces" ETS specifically for this purpose?.

I like the idea of schools run with more discipline and values, and with teachers who actually give a shit about how the kid turns out - I see it regularly as a Cadet instructor when you get a kid who the teacher/parent says "He/She is out of control and they mentioned cadets so we thought we'd try it, but don't give my little darling too much grief, they can't handle it" .
The kid takes a month or so to get the hint that the "youf culture" attitude is not acceptable and starts put in some effort, - cue parents/teachers coming in saying "I don't know what you did, but thanks- he/she is a different kid".
Most kids CAN be valued members of society, but they need someone to look up to, and a sense of belonging - otherwise they look up to the "rap culture" and belong to gangs..

Just my 2c

It is a good idea, but it needs to be done properly, not as a vote winner for Labour. Labour will make a mess of it because they are doing it to be popular and not for the right reasons. We have seen Labours ideas on what it thinks Britain needs and none of them benefited Britain or its people. Well, apart from the NHS that is and then it decided that wasn't required.

Originally Posted by Pyianno

Not implying ex-forces couldn't run schools, more, why would they want to? Schools are in a shite state of affairs and T&Cs for teachers are being shafted.

Well said.
This is just another attempt by politicians to come up with populist sound bites without the first inclinanation on how such a scheme could be implemented, nor indeed, as you point out, why ex forces personnel would be tempted into a profession like teaching in any great numbers.

Originally Posted by Cabana

It is a good idea, but it needs to be done properly, not as a vote winner for Labour. Labour will make a mess of it because they are doing it to be popular and not for the right reasons. We have seen Labours ideas on what it thinks Britain needs and none of them benefited Britain or its people. Well, apart from the NHS that is and then it decided that wasn't required.

I agree - it should be done well, not just done, and I really don't think they've thought it through - the logistics of getting the right number of the right sort of personnel alone is likely to be a nightmare.

Originally Posted by Pyianno

Not implying ex-forces couldn't run schools, more, why would they want to? Schools are in a shite state of affairs and T&Cs for teachers are being shafted.

I know quite a few ex-forces who are now teaching - it does seem to be a career of choice, something about it seems to appeal (asides from the long "holidays").
But if they are setting up new schools they would need new Ts&Cs, or they get back to the "being hamstrung by the lefties" situation.

Originally Posted by GeoffreyBarrack

This has already been established in the US, whereby ex servicemen teach in "Da Hood". Somebody obviously saw Tom Beringer in "The Substitute" and thought this would be a good idea.

Or Dangerous Minds with Michelle Pfieffer. To be quite frank if there was an ex-Forces mistress who looked as good as that there would be complete silence in the classroms from the teenage boys, except for the sound of thrapping under the desk...

A wonderful idea, is Trooper available?

Originally Posted by alib

A wonderful idea, is Trooper available?

If you meant Tropper he thought of it in the first place.

When I think of some of the twats who instructed me on various occasions, I wouldn't want them anywhere near a classroom. Not everyone has a talent for teaching or a vocation for dealing with kids. That's as true of the Armed Forces as any other walk of life - including, it has to be said, teaching.

Fair enough, those ex-service types who do will bring a great deal to the job, but they'd tend to be the ones attracted to the profession in the first place, I reckon.

Its a stupid idea i can see it happening but just on the cheap.
A fancy new sign an old 432 parked up some camoflauge netting around the place and combat95s for all :(.
A naff health and safety appopiate assualt course.
A ccf that the mod pay for.
That will be £400k P.A. On a pfi deal thank you very much.