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Does the military give young people a ‘leg up’? The armed forces and social mobility
25/05/2017
This briefing explores if these claims about social mobility stand up to scrutiny or whether enlisting in the armed forces can have a negative impact upon social mobility, particularly for very young recruits.
Do You Know The Agenda Behind Your School’s STEM Provision?
14/03/2017
The military and arms industries are putting large sums of money into our education system and into STEM educational material for schools. Science4Society Week is a chance to focus on learning from less destructive employers.
Armed forces visits to Scottish schools – a ‘big issue’
07/03/2017
Our petition lodged at Holyrood along with Quakers in Scotland on military visits to schools has taken a significant step forward.
Military recruitment of under-18s debated in Westminster
24/02/2017
We report on the recent debate in Parliament arguing that the age of recruitment to the UK armed forces be raised.
Answering difficult questions about militarism
21/02/2017
With the presence of the military in public spaces increasing and a high level of popularity for the armed forces, it is not always easy to respond to challenging questions that people pose in when faced with concerns expressed about militarism. In this briefing we explore some responses to questions about how much the armed forces should be involved in our everyday lives, how they relate to young people, and the effectiveness and consequences of military action.
Science for Society
24/01/2017
Science4Society Week is a collection of science education activities, co-ordinated by Scientists for Global Responsibility, and designed to inspire young people. It takes place in March each year.
Is it Counterproductive to Enlist Minors into the Army?
23/01/2017
This article, written by Child Soldiers International and published in the Royal United Service Institute Journal, argues that raising the UK enlistment age from 16 to 18 would bring benefits to young people and the British armed forces. The article explains that the UK’s low enlistment age is counterproductive internationally, as it implies to other countries that it is acceptable to use children under the age of 18 to staff national armed forces.
The militarisation of schools
The UK is one of few countries that allow minors to enlist. Despite calls to cease the recruitment of under-18s the Army is digging in to hold its ground.
Army life: the other side of the story
17/01/2017
Telling adolescents that they can resolve their need to belong by joining the Army is simplistic and one-sided. The reality is many aspects of army life are potentially harmful, especially to vulnerable individuals. The other side of the story needs to be told. This is a longer version of an article first published by The Huffington Post
Enlisting at 16: the other side of the story
09/01/2017
This series of 2-minute films by Child Soldiers International give a powerful insight into the reality of signing up as a young recruit, how training brutalises young soldiers and the long-term harmful effects of training and combat.
Petition FAQs
21/12/2016
The petition calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to ensure that:
- Guidance is provided on how visits to schools by the armed forces should be conducted so that information presented to children takes account of the unique nature of armed forces careers, ensures political balance, and offers a realistic representation of the role of the armed forces and what a career in the armed forces involves.
- Information is collected to enable public monitoring of the number and location of visits, the purpose and content of visits, and comparison with the number of visits by other employers.
- Parents/guardians are consulted as to whether they are happy for their child to take part in armed forces activities at school.
Why is the petition asking for this?
Teaching Remembrance: focusing on ‘why?’
09/12/2016
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 petition makes headway
30/11/2016
Members of the Scottish Parliament have agreed to seek further evidence on our joint petition – with Quakers in Scotland – calling for greater scrutiny and guidance around military visits to schools.
Army defies child rights campaigners, intensifies intake of 16-year-olds for riskiest roles
24/11/2016
Figures released today reveal that the British Army has increased its intake of 16-year-olds in the past 12 months, defying calls from the UN, children’s rights organisations and others campaigning for an end to the recruitment of minors.
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