[Kizzy]

OPERATION CANNON FODDER.



'Military veterans will be offered £40,000 bursaries to retrain as teachers to help instill self-discipline and leadership skills in young people, the Government has announced.

Former military personnel who begin teacher training courses in priority subjects - including maths, the sciences and modern foreign languages - can get a bursary from September.

The Department for Education and Ministry of Defence want ex-servicemen and women to whom discipline is second nature to share the ethos with pupils.'

What could the thinking behind this be, teachers cum drill sergeants creating generations of compliant conformists?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ed...-a8241901.html

[smudgie]

Shortage of teachers, sounds like a decent idea giving them bursaries.
The bursaries should be offered to everyone wanting to become a teacher though.

[LeatherTrumpet]

Sounds like a good plan. Maybe they can train them to stop taking bloody inservice days and take less summer holidays too?

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

OPERATION CANNON FODDER.



'Military veterans will be offered £40,000 bursaries to retrain as teachers to help instill self-discipline and leadership skills in young people, the Government has announced.

Former military personnel who begin teacher training courses in priority subjects - including maths, the sciences and modern foreign languages - can get a bursary from September.

The Department for Education and Ministry of Defence want ex-servicemen and women to whom discipline is second nature to share the ethos with pupils.'

What could the thinking behind this be, teachers cum drill sergeants creating generations of compliant conformists?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ed...-a8241901.html

That doesn't sound like any teenager I know

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Cherie

That doesn't sound like any teenager I know

Yet.

[Livia]

We have a small and incredibly technical army. You can't just rock up and join now, you have to have really good grades. Also training in the British army is thorough, and carry recognised qualifications transferable to civvy street. Also, the chain of command is the best in the world... it's a pity more businesses don't recognise this.

I can't understand why there would be a problem allowing soldiers to teach. I mean, we don't mind them fighting and dying for us. We don't mind that they have fought for the freedom we all enjoy now. Why can't they teach in a classroom?

[Marsh.]

Don't really see a problem in teaching people self discipline and leadership skills.

[Tom4784]

I think it's a good idea, there's not enough teachers and it's known that veterans can struggle finding another path after they leave the army. There would be loads of candidates in the army that have the knowledge and could probably teach various technology and IT classes as well as Key Skills like Maths and Science easily, just have to train them up on the act of teaching and the curriculum and such.

It's not like every ex-soldier would treat the class like it's their regiment and be extreme in handling the students. I had art and English teachers in Secondary school that were ex military and they were the most laid back teachers at that school. It's not like a cloud of Drill Sergeants are going to descend on the schools across the UK because of it.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

We have a small and incredibly technical army. You can't just rock up and join now, you have to have really good grades. Also training in the British army is thorough, and carry recognised qualifications transferable to civvy street. Also, the chain of command is the best in the world... it's a pity more businesses don't recognise this.

I can't understand why there would be a problem allowing soldiers to teach. I mean, we don't mind them fighting and dying for us. We don't mind that they have fought for the freedom we all enjoy now. Why can't they teach in a classroom?

There is no issue with them teaching obviously, m issue is the inference that the same level of discipline will be required for schoolchildren as squaddies.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

There is no issue with them teaching obviously, m issue is the inference that the same level of discipline will be required for schoolchildren as squaddies.

That's not the inference at all though?

"Teach them self-discipline and leadership skills" there's no indication they will be held to the same standards as a squaddie.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Don't really see a problem in teaching people self discipline and leadership skills.

Can't teachers do that already... what makes ex service personnel more adept at this? It's a whole new skill set, you can't motivate a child in the same way as a group of men on manoeuvres.

[AnnieK]

As long as they have the subject knowledge I feel its a good idea. A lot of NQTs quit the profession early in their careers as the pressure of the job is high, hopefully ex-military personnel, well used to pressurised positions will thrive and impart knowledge onto the students

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

That's not the inference at all though?

"Teach them self-discipline and leadership skills" there's no indication they will be held to the same standards as a squaddie.

I feel it is, otherwise what's the point?...

I can't see how ex service persons would have the balance needed any more or less than any other person for whom teaching is a vocation.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Can't teachers do that already... what makes ex service personnel more adept at this? It's a whole new skill set, you can't motivate a child in the same way as a group of men on manoeuvres.

But they're also not motivating the children in the same activities, so that's neither here nor there.

Who said teachers couldn't do that? They're not being replaced.

Weren't there reports that there aren't enough people training to teach? This helps that problem and brings in some very well experienced people who can do a good job.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I feel it is, otherwise what's the point?...

I can't see how ex service persons would have the balance needed any more or less than any other person for whom teaching is a vocation.

They have a wealth of experience and skillsets that is only a good thing to share with the next generation?

[Alf]

Does this mean an end to the naughty step?

[Livia]

I can see there will be a backlash to this. When I worked in an east London college, we had a careers day and some of the more "radical" lecturers refused to agree to allow the "warmongers" into the college. And by Warmongers, they mean the army, navy and RAF. Now, I hate to turn this into a Left/Right debate, but clearly that's the direction it will take. And it's sad.

Also, if you don't think the military can teach motivation and self confidence without marching people up and down all day, then you're about fifty or sixty years out of date with your thinking.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

They have a wealth of experience and skillsets that is only a good thing to share with the next generation?

They have, that said I don't think that a military career and teaching are always a match made in heaven.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

They have, that said I don't think that a military career and teaching are always a match made in heaven.

Oh maybe not. Certainly they won't all automatically be eligible (I hope) or suitable.

But infusing a bit of both can only be a good start IMO.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

I can see there will be a backlash to this. When I worked in an east London college, we had a careers day and some of the more "radical" lecturers refused to agree to allow the "warmongers" into the college. And by Warmongers, they mean the army, navy and RAF. Now, I hate to turn this into a Left/Right debate, but clearly that's the direction it will take. And it's sad.

Also, if you don't think the military can teach motivation and self confidence without marching people up and down all day, then you're about fifty or sixty years out of date with your thinking.

I'm with the lecturers there then, I don't agree these glossy brochure approaches to the armed services aimed at young people myself.

I didn't suggest there would be any 'marching up and down' that is your misinterpretation yet again of my point.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

Oh maybe not. Certainly they won't all automatically be eligible (I hope) or suitable.

But infusing a bit of both can only be a good start IMO.

Totally, and as far as I know bursaries are available to anyone in those subjects, I just wondered why the drive for military persons specifically.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

I'm with the lecturers there then, I don't agree these glossy brochure approaches to the armed services aimed at young people myself.

I didn't suggest there would be any 'marching up and down' that is your misinterpretation yet again of my point.

I did not misinterpret your post. Really tired of you intimating that you're too clever for me... you're not. You made the drill sergeant comment, not me. What do you suppose drill sergeants do? They march people up and down. So if anything it's you misinterpreting your own post.

The fact that you would be with the lecturers is not a shock to me.

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Livia

I did not misinterpret your post. Really tired of you intimating that you're too clever for me... you're not. You made the drill sergeant comment, not me. What do you suppose drill sergeants do? They march people up and down. So if anything it's you misinterpreting your own post.

The fact that you would be with the lecturers is not a shock to me.

I didn't, intelligent people don't have to tell others they're intelligent every other day.

You really shouldn't take everything people say so literally, occasionally try to read between the lines that's my advice.
I've made my concerns on here quite clear.

The fact you're against the lecturers is no surprise to me either.

[Marsh.]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

Totally, and as far as I know bursaries are available to anyone in those subjects, I just wondered why the drive for military persons specifically.

I don't know. A lack of new teachers coming through?

[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Marsh.

I don't know. A lack of new teachers coming through?

Or a specific type of teacher, a more say authoritarian style teacher maybe?
It could be great, I like it in one way for the leadership/confidence/teambuilding blah blah aspect, but another part of me hates it :/