Month: October 2016

Pushing ahead with cadets in schools

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The Defence Secretary, Michael Fallon, choose the Conservative Party conference to announce the next phase of the Cadet Expansion Programme with 25 new cadet units being set up in state schools.

He made a high profile visit to a new cadet unit at a Birmingham school which was involved in the ‘trojan horse’ allegations. Rockwood Academy is pairing the cadet unit with another inititative – a curriculum-based counter extremism programme. The particular example of a new cadet unit illustrates how they are seen as measures to counter extremism and promote ‘British values’, along with ‘military ethos’.

Read our critique of the Cadet Expansion Programme, first published in The Morning Star, 18/10/16.

Also see:

Michael Fallon launches army cadets scheme at ‘Trojan horse’ school (The Guardian, 4/10/16)

A night on the frontline with Michael Fallon’s school cadet corps (The Guardian, 7/10/16)

This TV report from BBC Midlands shows the ‘parading unit’ at Rockwood Academy doing drill and handling weapons. It states that the unit comprised of 12 year olds will be using live ammuniition within a year. The Defence Secretary Michael Fallons tries to reassure that this is ‘not about recruitment’.

This article from Schools Week (with ForcesWatch comment) reports that FOI data shows that a year after the announcement of an extra £50m funding, only 5 new cadet units have opened, calling into question the target of 500 units in state schools by 2020.… Read more

Under-18s in army ‘face greater injury, death and mental health risks’

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Recruiting children aged 16 and 17 into the British army places them at greater risk of death, injury and long-term mental health problems than those recruited as adults, according to a new report.

Public health charity uses damning report to call for minimum recruitment age to be raised to 18

Recruiting children aged 16 and 17 into the British army places them at greater risk of death, injury and long-term mental health problems than those recruited as adults, according to a new report.

The public health charity Medact uses its report, published on Tuesday, to call for the minimum recruitment age to be raised to 18.

“Minimum age laws exist to protect children from smoking, drinking, driving and watching violent films,” said Dr David McCoy, director of Medact. “It’s time for the UK to fall in step with the vast majority of countries and raise the minimum recruitment age to 18.”

The UK is the only country in Europe, and only permanent member of the UN security council, to still allow recruitment from age 16. A nationwide poll in 2014 found that 77% of the general public support a rise in the recruitment age to 18.

The army’s policy of recruiting children has been strongly criticised by multiple UN and UK parliamentary bodies, child rights organisationsand human rights groups.… Read more