Interesting court martial on the horizon, General in the dock.

[wetsmonkey]

Strangely, just like real life.

That doesn’t sit with the legend of the military being a paragon of national virtue and immune from criticism.

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

That doesn’t sit with the legend of the military being a paragon of national virtue and immune from criticism.

And neither should it, nor any other ‘institution’.

I think people should be careful though, lest their own shortcomings become apparent.

These things aren’t binary in my opinion.

 

[Danny_Dravot]

Which one do you think would benefit three under 11 year old kids more? Three years in Cyprus in school with their parents or three years in a second rate boarding school in Yorkshire? I don’t buy the continuity necessity for primary kids.

Agreed. But it could be argued a through school (8-1 provides a greater platform of stability.

 

[stacker1]

I don't know. I was just using the term that seems to be common. I don't really give a f*ck whether he is found guilty or not. It would be rather interesting to see a former major general sitting in the prison van after the verdict. We will just have to see how the case pans out. never underestimate the ability of the MOD or however investigated it, to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. I wonder if any of the panel are claiming CEA though and have a few guilty secrets.

If he ends up in clink though, will he still be able to use the title 'major general (retired).

The term tends to be used when an officer is accused of doing something wrong, its excuses piss poor behaviour from a supposed leader, when its an OR, then he's just a thieving ****.

He got every chance of a not guilty if people on the jury (especially an civvies) don't understand the CEA rules themselves.

If he gets pokey I doubt he'll use his title again, it will draw attention to himself.

 

[Lindermyer]

Which one do you think would benefit three under 11 year old kids more? Three years in Cyprus in school with their parents or three years in a second rate boarding school in Yorkshire? I don’t buy the continuity necessity for primary kids.

I was speaking generally rather than a specific case.

That said - If its a 3 year posting with a decent school - im with you - particuarly as you say for primary schooling.

My point was that - theres lots that dont move with a regiment - that dont have that tour stability and theres senior Ncos / officers who are likely to have older children the education of which wont be so often (if ever) met by those Pad schools.

As such I think boarding schools can be justified equally - as thats a result of a Posting its not unreasonable the army meets the cost.

However where I will agree theres some piss taking is Private schooling - If youve packed Rodney off to Eaton , then the chances are you would have done anyway - Parhaps a compromise position on Paying on Boarding not school fees / Up to x amount is warranted .

 

[Just_plain_you]

I was speaking generally rather than a specific case.

That said - If its a 3 year posting with a decent school - im with you - particuarly as you say for primary schooling.

My point was that - theres lots that dont move with a regiment - that dont have that tour stability and theres senior Ncos / officers who are likely to have older children the education of which wont be so often (if ever) met by those Pad schools.

As such I think boarding schools can be justified equally - as thats a result of a Posting its not unreasonable the army meets the cost.

However where I will agree theres some piss taking is Private schooling - If youve packed Rodney off to Eaton , then the chances are you would have done anyway - Parhaps a compromise position on Paying on Boarding not school fees / Up to x amount is warranted .

It's Eton, you pleb.

 

[stacker1]

People are already taking the piss with CEA.

Get with the programme its called "gaming the system".

 

[stacker1]

However where I will agree theres some piss taking is Private schooling - If youve packed Rodney off to Eaton , then the chances are you would have done anyway - Parhaps a compromise position on Paying on Boarding not school fees / Up to x amount is warranted .

CEA is already capped, if you want to send your children to Eton, you have to make up the difference.

 

[stacker1]

Agreed. But it could be argued a through school (8-1 provides a greater platform of stability.

Not really, it could be argued that they need stability from 8 to 11. 11 to 14, 14 to 16 and 16 to 18.
It doesn't mean they should be guaranteed a private education for 10 years at the expense of the taxpayer.

 

[stacker1]

I can’t be the only one who sees the absurdity in rules which effectively required him to remove his children from school half way through the year and make alternative arrangements before custody was settled.

If I remember correctly, the CEA will pay for one more term unless they are in their final two years in which case they pay until the end, in the case of a divorce.
If he was the primary carer he would keep the CEA.
So its not absurd at all. What would be absurd would be the Army continuing to pay for a kid who wasnt in his exam years and in the care of an unentitled civilian.

 

[Rab_C]

Which one do you think would benefit three under 11 year old kids more? Three years in Cyprus in school with their parents or three years in a second rate boarding school in Yorkshire? I don’t buy the continuity necessity for primary kids.

I was a pupil at a MOD primary school in Cyprus in the 70’s for 3 years, on return to the UK I was considerably behind my peers. What no one had told my parents was that the curriculum in the service schools was the latest “hip” self expressive, tree hugging crap, basically I’d been part of an experiment for 3 years. That was 3 years I had to fight to make up, the MOD had screwed me over 10 years before I actually signed up.

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

I was a pupil at a MOD primary school in Cyprus in the 70’s for 3 years, on return to the UK I was considerably behind my peers. What no one had told my parents was that the curriculum in the service schools was the latest “hip” self expressive, tree hugging crap, basically I’d been part of an experiment for 3 years. That’s was 3 years I had to fight to make up, the MOD had screwed me 10 years before I actually signed up.

It was all part of the plan.

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

I was speaking generally rather than a specific case.

That said - If its a 3 year posting with a decent school - im with you - particuarly as you say for primary schooling.

My point was that - theres lots that dont move with a regiment - that dont have that tour stability and theres senior Ncos / officers who are likely to have older children the education of which wont be so often (if ever) met by those Pad schools.

As such I think boarding schools can be justified equally - as thats a result of a Posting its not unreasonable the army meets the cost.

However where I will agree theres some piss taking is Private schooling - If youve packed Rodney off to Eaton , then the chances are you would have done anyway - Parhaps a compromise position on Paying on Boarding not school fees / Up to x amount is warranted .

I wonder if the thread could be burdened with some facts? Say, the historical numbers of those claiming CEA, by rank, over time, against a profile of a shrinking and increasingly UK based Army. Also against the other Services and then the number of prosecutions for fraud, subsequent convictions and sentencing.

I’m potting up some herbs this afternoon so I don’t have the time for the research....

 

[Paymaster]

I was speaking generally rather than a specific case.

That said - If its a 3 year posting with a decent school - im with you - particuarly as you say for primary schooling.

My point was that - theres lots that dont move with a regiment - that dont have that tour stability and theres senior Ncos / officers who are likely to have older children the education of which wont be so often (if ever) met by those Pad schools.

As such I think boarding schools can be justified equally - as thats a result of a Posting its not unreasonable the army meets the cost.

However where I will agree theres some piss taking is Private schooling - If youve packed Rodney off to Eaton , then the chances are you would have done anyway - Parhaps a compromise position on Paying on Boarding not school fees / Up to x amount is warranted .

Your last paragraph makes no sense at all; if you choose to send young Rupert off to ETON, you get the same allowance that you would have got at Dootheboys Hall. It is then up to you how much extra you want to put in.

Did your school not teach spellung?

 

[Auld-Yin]

I wonder if the thread could be burdened with some facts? Say, the historical numbers of those claiming CEA, by rank, over time, against a profile of a shrinking and increasingly UK based Army. Also against the other Services and then the number of prosecutions for fraud, subsequent convictions and sentencing.

I’m potting up some herbs this afternoon so I don’t have the time for the research....

I think the research might be more informative if it was about the correlation between the date a person stops claiming the allowance and when they leave the Service. Who has just held on to get their kids through school on the taxpayer? Is the allowance therefore fit for purpose?

 

[Just_plain_you]

I wonder if the thread could be burdened with some facts? Say, the historical numbers of those claiming CEA, by rank, over time, against a profile of a shrinking and increasingly UK based Army. Also against the other Services and then the number of prosecutions for fraud, subsequent convictions and sentencing.

I’m potting up some herbs this afternoon so I don’t have the time for the research....

Shush, there's a class war being fomented here

 

[Caecilius]

I think the research might be more informative if it was about the correlation between the date a person stops claiming the allowance and when they leave the Service. Who has just held on to get their kids through school on the taxpayer? Is the allowance therefore fit for purpose?

I doubt that'd show up anything much. By the time kids are out of school, the average serving parent will be within a few of years of their natural end of service date anyway.

Once people have held on for a decade to get their kids through private schools, I suspect most will hang on a little longer to maximize the pension rather than entering the jobs market at 52. You might get a few who had all their children very early so could leave in their early 40s, but I think that's pretty unusual.

 

[Lindermyer]

Your last paragraph makes no sense at all; if you choose to send young Rupert off to ETON, you get the same allowance that you would have got at Dootheboys Hall. It is then up to you how much extra you want to put in.

Pointed out by others , Not having requested CEA my comments viz caps etc were because other posters had given the impression the MOD foot the bill for private schooling -

I joined the convo only to place the argument for some stability of education I was in education from 5 - 20 in that 15 yr period I had 12 places of education.

Thats the very opposite of stable

Did your school not teach spellung?

They did all 12 of them - that doesnt mean it ever sunk in - also fat fingers

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

Shush, there's a class war being fomented here

Don’t I know it.

Facts? We don’t need no stinking facts!

 

[Bubbles_Barker]

Your last paragraph makes no sense at all; if you choose to send young Rupert off to ETON, you get the same allowance that you would have got at Dootheboys Hall. It is then up to you how much extra you want to put in.

Did your school not teach spellung?

Did yours? It’s Dotheboys Hall