Have we had the national service debate yet?
Should we bring back / bring in national service? And if so - in what form?

I can't say I'm in favour of the 'everyone spends 2 years in the military' model - if you want to get shot, it should be voluntary. However, some sort of discipline, physical training, structured giveback to society seems like it would be good for everyone. We often complain about the culture of entitlement / glamorisation of celebrity / me-me-me generation. Would a couple of years of being made to contribute to society help get rid of this?

What form could the national service take?
- Voluntary military service?
- Support of charities / social enterprises - in this country (e.g. raising funds or building walls/paths for the National Trust)
- Charity work overseas (e.g. building schools in Africa)

What sanctions should be taken if people refused to take part - removal of entitlement to benefits for 10 years/life, prison, expulsion from the country(!)?

After 3/6/12 months out of work, should you be automatically re-enrolled, so that you are providing some benefit to the country you live it?

If nothing else, it would equip every school leaver with basic work skills and some sense of purpose.

Debate, B3TA, debate!
( Fireflier La la la la, not listening on, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 12:38, 6 replies)

i think germany have something similar
but they get an option to do miltary service, or community service.

without wanting to sound like a right wing nut, i think it'd be a good thing, if everyone had to do it.
i think it could be especially useful for people that may struggle to initially find work after leaving school/college, if they do well in the placement it could help with finding a worthwhile job
( real i'm not happy 'til you're not happy, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 12:44, closed)

AFAIK
You get the choice of military, border service, or civil service. May be wrong though
(badgerlikespeed, Wed 28 Sep 2011, 12:51, closed)

i agree
i think we should have a mass-debate.
(men boles Benea, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 12:45, closed)

...
"If nothing else, it would equip every school leaver with basic work skills and some sense of purpose."

By implication, you're raising the possibility that you lack any of these things, because you were never shouted at for two years by people who'd rather you weren't clogging up their previously efficient unit.

If, on the other hand, you do have work skills and a sense of purpose, I don't see what national service would add. Why not just concentrate on whatever it was that smoothed your way?
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 13:08, closed)

I know what it was...
Basically it was being shouted at for 12 years by people who were annoyed that I was clogging up their previously efficient classroom.

Currently our education system is a shocking mess.
I wish I could pretend I knew everything that's gone wrong.
I don't, but I can point to one thing that's utterly certain.
It's been going on for almost exactly two generations and is confined almost entirely to families who have been living in Britain all that time.

Apply your own caveats to the sweeping generalisation.
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Mon 26 Sep 2011, 11:27, closed)

Contribute to society?
Isn't that the point of the tax system?
( monster munch person, man, woman... camera... TV?, Fri 23 Sep 2011, 15:30, closed)