military in schools/colleges

Troops to Teachers scheme misses target

A controversial scheme to turn former military personnel into teachers has trained just a sixth of its target number of veterans during the first two years.

---

Wider military influence in schools in Scotland

The UK military’s influence in schools in Scotland is not limited to visits by armed forces personnel. Other initiatives, which mostly take place during school hours, include: a wide range of school Cadet programmes; lesson resources produced by the armed forces; visits to military bases and museums; military-oriented alternative provision; and armed forces scholarships for those in S6 or Further Education colleges. The two main reasons the military ‘engages' with young people, and with schools in particular, which drive all but the last of the initiatives explored below, are armed forces recruitment and positive awareness-raising.   Cadets in schools Overview

---

Armed forces visits to schools in Scotland: A lack of transparency and insufficient consultation

Neither the armed forces, nor the MoD, nor schools, nor councils, automatically publish data on armed forces visits to schools in Scotland. The data has to be obtained by members of the public, and usually has to be reorganised substantially before it can be analysed. Poor record-keeping on the part of the armed forces and other bodies has added to this lack of transparency. In addition, there is insufficient consultation with parents and guardians as to whether they are content with their children/guardees taking part in armed forces activities, and there is evidence to suggest that schools do not always initiate the visits, contrary to the claims of the MoD and the armed forces.

---

Lack of balance during armed forces visits to schools in Scotland

School students in Scotland should encounter a balance of opposing views on the armed forces during their visits. However, a considerable body of evidence shows that this does not always happen.

---

The recruitment agenda behind armed forces visits to schools in Scotland

Evidence of the recruitment agenda behind armed forces visits to schools in Scotland.

---

Level and distribution of armed forces visits to schools in Scotland

The available data shows that the armed forces make a disproportionate number of visits to schools and colleges in Scotland compared to England, but also that the visits within Scotland are unevenly distributed, both by area, type of school, and armed force, with some areas and schools receiving a far greater proportion and/or frequency of visits. The armed forces also make far more visits to schools in Scotland than the emergency services, despite claims to the contrary.

---

After ‘cannon fodder’ outcry … Holyrood urged to investigate military visits to schools

MSPs are being urged to hold an inquiry into the presence of the armed forces in Scotland’s schools after an outcry over plans to set up cadet units aimed at the poorest pupils.

---

Action taken to resolve issues of concern before submitting the petition

Overview

Our research has revealed that there is considerable concern in Scotland among teachers, students, parents/guardians, and others regarding the nature of armed forces visits to schools. However, we have also found that various other important stakeholder organisations are unaware of the concerns about of the visits, or who is responsible for overseeing them. This indicates a real need for a thorough investigation into the situation.

Identifying existing concern

Research by ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland identified the following existing concern about armed forces visits to schools in Scotland:

---

Scottish Parliament petition

In 2016 ForcesWatch and Quakers in Scotland submitted a petition to the Scottish Parliament that calls on the Scottish Government to ensure greater scrutiny, guidance, and consultation with parents/guardians on armed forces visits to schools in Scotland, in order to provide transparency and balance, and in recognition of the unique nature of armed forces careers. In 2018 the Public Petitions Committee made a number of recommendations in their report to the Scottish Government.

---

Holyrood should protect Scottish schools from creep of cadets

ForcesWatch is calling on the Scottish government to resist attempts to introduce Cadet units into the country’s state secondary schools.

---