peace education

Robot dogs in UK schools: good dog or bad dog?

Investigate why robot dogs are visiting schools across the UK with the STEM Detective! This year's BAE Systems STEM Education Roadshow is running school workshops about artificial intelligence with a robot dog named Lexi. But, while pupils get to make music videos with Lexi, robot dogs have other functions on the battlefield.

---

Teach Peace Secondary

The Peace Education Network'sTeach Peace Secondary offers over 50 cross-curricular lessons from a range of organisations including Pax Christi, Amnesty International, Values Based Education, Scientists for Global Responsibility, Facing History & Ourselves, Corrymeela, and War Child.  Lessons are freely available via TES.com and include:

• Amnesty International: How does the arms trade work?
• Scientists for Global Responsibility: A beginner's guide to nuclear weapons
• Pax Christi: Military spending – does it make us more secure?
• Conflict Resolution in Sheffield Schools Training (CRESST): Curious about conflict

---

Military involvement in education and youth activities in the UK

This briefing summarises key elements of military involvement in education and youth activities in the UK. It covers the defence industry as well as the armed forces and Ministry of Defence. It outlines the main concerns this raises and how these concerns have been voiced so far.

---

Teaching Remembrance: focusing on ‘why?’

A history teacher from Coventry got in touch with ForcesWatch to share her experience of teaching Remembrance to year nine classes this year after reading the resource Rethinking Remembrance in Schools: 'Teaching about Remembrance this year was a vastly different experience for me than previous years'.

---

Scottish Parliament asks for more information on military visits to schools after hearing from ForcesWatch

Back in March we asked Holyrood to ensure ‘guidance is provided to schools', ‘information is collected to provide public monitoring’ and ‘parents/guardians are consulted’ when it comes to visits by the military. Last week we gave evidence to the Public Petitions Committee.

---

The UN, child rights and the UK military

This week the long-awaited consideration of the UK's implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child takes place. There are numerous issues being discussed, including many ways in which the rights of children are compromised or not adequately recognised by UK authorities. Also under scrutiny is the recruitment of 16 and 17 year olds, who are still legally children, into the UK armed forces, and UK's lack of education provision on peace and human rights. As an open letter to the MoD points out, the youngest recruits are 'actively sought' for frontline roles.

---

ForcesWatch written evidence to the Education Committee’s inquiry on the Purpose and quality of education in England

This submission presents concerns around the growing influence of military interests in the UK education system which raises a number of concerns around critical thinking about the military, armed forces careers, and issues of peace and conflict resolution. These pro-military messages are not balanced by the inclusion of a structured framework for peace education within the curriculum, and the UK government is failing to implement recommendations from the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child as a result.

---

Time to give peace education a chance in schools

Concern over No 10’s ‘military ethos in schools’ initiative is prompting charities to press the government over its commitment to the UN children’s treaty

---

New critical thinking resources from The Citizenship Foundation

The Citizenship Foundation's new resources focus on facilitating primary school students' critical thinking skills. Discussing the military in this rigorous way would give students a more balanced impression of armed forces life.

---