O/T Mandatory National Services to be brought back in by the Tories

[Brin]

Wouldn’t disagree with any of that but bringing in a Labour administration is still a “ fingers crossed” alternative

What else do we have to look forward to ......

[Brin]

Complete tosh.

If that’s what they want to do, Make people get off their arses and work in the community for their benefits/handouts.

Most ****agers I come across ARE good human beings. If it’s a case they aren’t, target them and give them community service, boot camps etc.

In schools:

Mechanic courses, plumbing, joinery, metalwork, cooking, gardening/landscaping etc.

Get some professionals teaching these skills in schools instead of the shyte they do teach.

I've been looking on posts that caught my eye and I have to say, although we never agree on anything which is a shame, I find your post 'bang on point'. What you propose is a possible start in life for young people, our future generation.

Why aren't our children taught life working skills? I personally hated school and loved it when 15 years of age they sent us on an 'Electrician course'. We felt so disattached from maim stream school and felt like young men venturing out.

In the early 70's you could leave school so why are they banging on about more 'English/Maths/Science' 'A's' are required for life?

[Grist_To_The_Mill]

Talking of teaching the youth of the UK:-

In 2021/22 there were 679,970 overseas students studying at UK universities, 120,140 of whom were from the EU and 559,825 from elsewhere. This was a record total, the ninth consecutive new record, and an increase of 37% or 184,000 in three years. The latest total was 24% of the total student population.

[LesHiboux]

A good idea in my opinion. Our society's falling to pieces, which is hardly surprising bearing in mind that many young people go through a system in which there is no respect and no discipline. There's nothing wrong with the youth of today, and our forebears would have been just as wayward had they been through this system. This permissive, irreverent society started in the 1960s, and it's been downhill all the way ever since. And, as usual, it's the working class which bears the brunt of it.

[UlleyMiller]

Talking of teaching the youth of the UK:-

In 2021/22 there were 679,970 overseas students studying at UK universities, 120,140 of whom were from the EU and 559,825 from elsewhere. This was a record total, the ninth consecutive new record, and an increase of 37% or 184,000 in three years. The latest total was 24% of the total student population.

Their fees prop up the system. The alternative is a tax hike or to completely alienate working class kids from university by knocking their fees up.

[UlleyMiller]

A good idea in my opinion. Our society's falling to pieces, which is hardly surprising bearing in mind that many young people go through a system in which there is no respect and no discipline. There's nothing wrong with the youth of today, and our forebears would have been just as wayward had they been through this system. This permissive, irreverent society started in the 1960s, and it's been downhill all the way ever since. And, as usual, it's the working class which bears the brunt of it.

Irreverent? I'm getting conflicting themes (not specifically from yourself) where today's youngsters are either lacking in respect or they're irrationally concerned with respecting their identities, or highlighting the plight of people worse off than them (migrants, the slave trade stories). To be honest, both themes are very much on point for where Rothermere and his ilk want the public's attention.

[UlleyMiller]

Why aren't our children taught life working skills? I personally hated school and loved it when 15 years of age they sent us on an 'Electrician course'. We felt so disattached from maim stream school and felt like young men venturing out.

They should be taught a lot that they're not. I doubt there would be many people happy if they were taught the truth about finance, because it'd crush a lot of companies who prey on the ill-informed, but they should certainly be taught (or taught better) about general maintenance skills, cooking, budgeting, etc. National service isn't required for any of this though - that's where Sunak is pushing the attention because having failed to make any educational improvements in 14 years, it's better to shift the focus to something more divisive.

In the early 70's you could leave school so why are they banging on about more 'English/Maths/Science' 'A's' are required for life?

People change jobs (a lot) more. Jobs are more dynamic than years gone by. Again though, a suitably educated school-leaver should have more than enough, and it points to education getting it wrong rather than a need to throw in anything else.