Minister: cut teenage pregnancies with army cadets
20/01/2015
The Telegraph
Army cadet units could help cut the rate of teenage pregnancies, an education minister has said.
Lord Nash said teenage girls from single-parent families who had “never experienced the love of a man” could be deterred from forming “unsuitable relationships” if they enrolled in a cadet unit.
UK soldiers of 16 ‘too young’
12/01/2015
THE children’s commissioner for England has accused the armed forces of breaching the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child by recruiting soldiers from the age of 16.
Sunday Times
More questions raised about the ‘Military Ethos in Schools’ programme
06/01/2015
The Department for Education has committed a further £3.5m to fund organisations building 'character' among school students, and £1m for research to find the most effective ways that character can be taught in schools.
TES, Telegraph, and BFBS
Armed Forces visit state schools as many as 20 times in two years
19/12/2014
FOUR out of five of Scotland's state secondary schools had visits by the Armed Forces within a two year period, sparking claims they were related to recruitment.
Herald Scotland
New report raises concerns about armed forces visits to Scottish schools
18/12/2014
A new report published today shows that the armed forces visited four fifths (83%) of state secondary schools within a two year period, between 2010-2012. The report argues that the purpose of many of the visits is related to recruitment into the armed forces.
ForcesWatch press release
‘Alternative Provision with a Military Ethos’ receives more funding – our response
10/12/2014
On 7 December 2014, Michael Gove’s successor as Secretary of State for Education Nicky Morgan made her support for the Military Ethos in Schools programme clear by pledging a further £4.8 million to eight ‘alternative provision with a military ethos’ schemes. This follows previous funding between 2012 and 2014 that amounted to £8.2 million. The Quakers have written a letter with their concerns about the new announcement to Nicky Morgan, which can be read here. Below are our key initial concerns.
ForcesWatch comment
YouGov poll finds that Britons tend to think less of the Army’s importance the younger they are
02/12/2014
As the British Army struggles to recruit new soldiers, YouGov polling finds that Britons tend to think less of the army's importance the younger they are.
YouGov
Questioning the military’s presence and influence in UK schools and colleges
02/12/2014
Did you know that the UK armed forces recruit 16-year-olds? Owen Everett from ForcesWatch explores the UK military’s wide influence in the education system and the concerns that arise from this.
Generation C
Troops to Teachers scheme failing to entice ex-soldiers into the classroom
24/11/2014
It was supposed to address teacher shortages and instil a military ethos in schools, but take up is tiny and dominated by non-graduates.
The Guardian
The Militarisation of Education: ‘Troops to Teachers’ and the Implications for Initial Teacher Education and Race Equality
19/11/2014
A critical look at the Military Ethos in Schools programme from education academic Charlotte Chadderton.
British Educational Research Association / Charlotte Chadderton