EVERY 16-year-old in Britain could be automatically signed up for ‘National Service’ scheme, under plan backed by Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt
by ClassicFlavour
EVERY 16-year-old in Britain could be automatically signed up for ‘National Service’ scheme, under plan backed by Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt
by ClassicFlavour
19 comments
Full article for those who don’t fancy visiting the Mail’s page
> #EVERY 16-year-old in Britain could be automatically signed up for ‘National Service’ scheme, under plan backed by Cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt
> The proposals would see teenagers participate in a two-week ‘civic exploration’ trip and have to complete a number of volunteering hours each year.
> The scheme – mooted by think-tank Onward – would not be compulsory, but youths would have to opt out if they did not want to join. As many as 600,000 youngsters could be involved.
> Ms Mordaunt enthusiastically endorsed the blueprint in an article for the Telegraph, saying it would foster the ‘goodwill and community spirit, energy and imagination’ of teens.
> She also insisted it could promote ‘good mental health and resilience’ after the upheaval of the Covid crisis.
> The House of Commons leader argued there is nothing ‘more rewarding than serving your community and nation’.
> ‘No one is more effective at helping others than a willing volunteer. Nothing is more rewarding than serving your community and nation,’ she said.
> ‘Many young people are struggling with their mental health, to find purpose, and feel a sense of belonging.
> ‘Stepping forward to help others could be part of the answer. Service can help build the resilience, skills, and pride in their community and country that many need.’
> Ms Mordaunt said national service was an ‘old idea’ but the latest proposal – which is not government policy – could be a ‘modern version’.
> Onward’s proposal will go a step further than National Citizen Service, which was established under David Cameron.
> Rather than having to seek out participants, people would be automatically signed up at age 16.
> Francois Valentin, a senior researcher at Onward, said many young people feel ‘disconnected from their community and nation’.
> He said a ‘bold idea’ is essential to stop the younger generation from ‘falling further into crisis’.
> He argued that national service is both ‘unifying’ and can help teach young people the ‘skills they need to succeed’. He says it is not an outdated idea, but instead a ‘modern solution’ being used across the globe.
> Mr Valentin said the Great British National Service, which was inspired by a similar scheme currently running in France, would be a ‘popular answer to young people’s challenges’.
> The proposal was also backed by Labour MP Dan Jarvis who said a national civic service will ‘develop skills, improve mental wellbeing and enhance a sense of belonging’.
> He says he would like the opportunity to participate in a voluntary national scheme to be offered to all of Britain’s youth.
This doesn’t seem a totally awful idea. It’s optional and actually might be a positive experience for young people.
If it’s optional what’s the difference between this and the Duke of Edinburgh scheme?
The Tories really do get a hard on by ordering those they despise to do things they don’t want to do don’t they?
Awful idea, kids these days are too lazy and terrible to protect this nation. A better idea would be to get people of near or at pension age instead cauae they love this nation and will actually get the job done if needed
How about we just encourage kids to volunteer instead of having an opt out scheme?
Better headline would be “School-leavers to be given the option to complete government funded National Service scheme as alternative to NCS or Duke of Edinburgh awards”. I hate the Daily Mail, genuinely the worst tabloid newspaper.
It should be taken a step further in my opinion. I think every kid over twelve should be enrolled into a cadet scheme. Doesn’t have to be military based, could be Police, St Johns ambulance or maybe some new NHS youth scheme. Anything to try and give kids actual real life problem solving skills because we all know schools don’t bother doing anything like that.
How’s about signing everyone who voted for Brexit up for national service?
I don’t care about age (or gender, obviously). Nor should I care about your age; you fucked up my future, now let’s look at fucking up yours.
I mean this isn’t a bad idea but what is the incentive really for young people when they can aspire to make money as a steamer or influencer and never have to do a days work or even leave the house?
When the only criteria for success a society has is how much money you make, it hardly encourages community spirit or learning any skills
Curious as to how this would be enforceable.
Say a kid doesn’t bother to opt out, they can just not turn up. Unless they plan to penalise the families or shanghai them.
the Tories are gunning for a rose tinted 1950s dream where the young do national service.
It is probably more aimed at Daily Mail readers than being a practical policy.
Starts off optional, then non optional followed by indoctrination like Hitler youth.
This doesn’t surprise me, this is the party that already has the option to opt out of doing your civic duty. It’s called being an MP and it’s fine to just stop turning up to work and you still get paid. I hope they extend the same courtesy to 16 year olds who opt out and still give them whatever meaningless piece of paper this will produce.
Interesting these schemes are targeted at those too young to vote. Why not a scheme where everyone gives up a few days annual holiday in exchange for the bank holidays we are so generously granted every year.
Boomers would fucking love this, they will be popping semis… no matter how nothing it is the idea of “forcing” young people to do something they think they did (but didn’t) is like crack.
I think it could be an idea if delivered properly , particularly in areas of social deprivation where many young people may not be given the opportunities to do something different, or to break years of cyclic behaviour from social circumstances where young people may come from a troubled background .
But, whilst we’re at it, actually try and provide more options for young people.
I used to work with young people who had never been to the county, and had only ever stuck to their areas in troubled estates. For some, the opportunity to get into the country, to even go mountain walking, camping, canoeing can be life changing and eye opening and redirect people.. it did for me.
So national service, for me , that supports skill building, I’d absolutely favour.
I’d expect however that this is going to be jnirslly voluntary to see how irons received before it becomes a mandatory requirement , likely as some form or manner to claw back from those young people who don’t care about the consequences of their actions
As someone who is now too old for this, I will change my opinion and demand national service is brought back because I won’t have to do it and kids these days should be made to do so!
good luck with that, i could barely get 16 year old to put their phones away to sit an exam let alone get them to camp for a fortnight.
Usual daily heil click bait headlines that bear no relation to original statement but reflecting the sentiment in the minds of the wannabee dictators. But the idea has now been sewn and that was the main intention. All these government plans are “leaked” to the bull shit pages first. So next summer holidays we will have a steady stream of 16 year olds from state schools heading out into the fields to harvest crops. Solves the labour shortage caused by brexit and keeps the riff faff off the foreign holiday flights.