Labour plan to set up ‘Service Schools’ staffed by soldiers
The Telegraph
A new generation of “Service Schools” staffed entirely by former members of the Armed Forces could be set up across Britain under Labour plans to raise education standards, it has emerged.
A Labour policy paper suggests establishing the schools in every English region – and winning support for the plan from devolved governments – as part of a move to improve standards of discipline and promote a culture of hard work among pupils.
The proposal forms part of a radical plan designed to harness the “ethos and standards of our Armed Forces” in the state education system.
The Party is also proposing a huge expansion of Combined Cadet Forces (CCF) in schools and setting up a specialist “mentoring” scheme in which ex-servicemen are drafted into the classroom to act as role models to difficult pupils.
In a document, Labour said this was “currently a feature of many private schools” and could be put to real benefit in the state system.
The move is likely to be opposed by teaching unions who have criticised previous attempts to create closer links between schools and the military.
See more: cadets, legislation & policy, military in schools/colleges, military ethos
