legislation & policy
‘Commonsense and Understanding’: Recommendations from the Defence Committee’s Duty of Care report that are still outstanding 10 years on
December 2015
This report highlights seven recommendations from the Defence Committee’s report Duty of Care: Third Report of Session 2004-05 which have not been partially or fully implemented, and around which substantial concerns remain.
This report then discusses the concept of 'in loco parentis' and 'moral obligation' with regard to the army's duty of care towards young recruits, noting that the Defence Committee were concerned in 2005 that the MoD distinguished too rigidly between legal and moral obligations, with the latter as less important.
In 2005, the Defence Committee discussed the lack of balance beween training needs and considerations for operational effectiveness, and thus made its recommendations. Ten years on, it is apparent that operational arguments, and current difficulties meeting recruiting targets, continue to prevent the armed forces from reviewing both their position on enlisting under-18s, and their recruitment practices and materials.
Children have no place in the British army
22/12/2015The Guardian
The Guardian
Britain is the only country in Europe to recruit 16-year-olds into its armed forces. The cynical targeting of underprivileged youngsters must end
New report shows that important duty of care recommendations have not been implemented by the armed forces
16/12/2015ForcesWatch press release
ForcesWatch press release
Ahead of the House of Commons debate on the Armed Forces Bill on Wednesday 16 December, ForcesWatch has published a new report calling for a change in the law ending military recruitment under 18 years of age.
Peace education and the promotion of the armed forces in UK schools
November 2015
This report highlights that peace education is not being promoted in schools. This is counter to the recommendations made by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child to the UK Government that peace education should be part of the curriculum. This raises concerns particularly with the increased promotion of the military within schools through the Department for Education's 'military ethos' programme and free military-related learning resources, and as the armed forces continue to conduct a substantial 'youth engagement' programme.
ForcesWatch welcomes Welsh Government stance over military visits to schools
23/09/2015ForcesWatch press release
ForcesWatch press release
The Welsh Government has been praised by ForcesWatch over a “groundbreaking” decision to support in principle more research into how the armed forces operate in secondary schools in Wales.
Concerns about armed forces visits to secondary schools in Wales
August 2015
This briefing is a response to the 2012-13 Welsh Assembly Petitions Committee’s investigation into UK armed forces ‘recruitment’ in schools in Wales, following the petition Stop the Army Recruiting in Schools (P-04-432) submitted by the Fellowship of Reconciliation Wales. The Petition Committee’s final report on their consideration of the petition was published in June 2015.
Armed forces not required to offer soldiers aged 16-17 the same standard of education that is required in civilian life
30/06/2015Child Soldiers International
Child Soldiers International
Compulsory education for 16-17s: research reveals that the armed forces are not required to give child soldiers the same minimum standard as civilian institutions. The minimum attainment requirement of the Army (which has the vast majority of children in the armed forces) is shown to be very low.
Welsh Gov told to review the way British military recruits in Welsh schools
23/06/2015The Daily Wales
The Daily Wales
The Welsh Government has been told to review of the way the British Armed Forces are allowed to recruit in Welsh schools.
War veterans call for rethink on recruitment of 16-year-olds
23/06/2015The Guardian
The Guardian
Former professionals condemn recruitment of teenagers by ‘pushing the notion of a noble military career to children’.
UK’s compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child: Report from the Joint Committee on Human Rights
March 2015
In advance of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child's consideration of how the UK complies with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (during autumn 2015), the UK Parliament's Joint Committee on Human Rights has published a short report outlining areas of concern. The report states: Again, we hope that our successor committee will have an opportunity to scrutinise the issue of children serving in the armed forces in the light of the UN Committee's concluding ovservations which will be delivered in 2016.