Undoubtedly, one of the worst things to have happened to this great nation over the last few decades is its Americanisation. Our celebrity culture has been infected by it, our eating habits have eroded because of it, our greedy capitalist outlook has been influenced by it and now - worst of all - our school system is under threat as a direct result of it. In the States, a 'Troops to Teachers' scheme was introduced following the first Gulf War. The scheme was created in order to help retrain veteran military personnel so that they could become inspiring teachers in the classroom. Thus far over 15,000 ex-military have entered the teaching profession, leading our very own Tory government to attempt a replica scenario here in the UK.
Since stepping in to office last year, Education Secretary Michael Gove has set about officially implementing this policy. His White Paper stated, "We will encourage Armed Forces leavers to become teachers, by developing a 'Troops to Teachers' programme which will sponsor service leavers to train as teachers". SkillForce, a charity that trains and educates former military personnel to run programmes in schools, has received a £1.5million funding boost in the hope that it will increase the amount of war veterans being pumped in to our schools. But do our schools actually need these soldiers? Has anyone stopped and contemplated the consequences of such action?
We live in an age whereby education is essential and necessary. This is best emphasised by viewing that we now have far more students attending higher education than ever before. However, successive governments have failed to address our current predicament. As the population slowly rises, our need for more schools has increased. Class sizes are, on average, far too high and teachers are understandably buckling under the pressure. But clearly the solution is not bringing in soldiers. The solution is to build more schools and train more engaging teachers. Commendably, 70% of all schools in this country are deemed either 'good' or 'outstanding' by Ofsted. This would not suggest that our educational institutions require militarising.
A worrying recent survey, conducted by the Times Educational Supplement, found that 49% of all parents are in favour of bringing back corporal punishment. Such punishment would include after-school detention, written lines and caning. This is a concern. Such findings feed the myth that we need military figures within schools to regain control and discipline. In order to disparage this abhorrent concept it shall require some hypothetical thinking. Let us pretend that little Timmy has just spilt glue everywhere. At present, a modern teacher would simply clean up the mess and encourage Timmy not to be so clumsy in future. How would Sergeant Major react? If history is anything to go by little Timmy would be thrown out the nearest window and forced to complete 100 press-ups.
This is where the problem lies. In our civilised, modern society we have learnt (hopefully) that violence and aggression gets you no where. We have learnt that nurturing children results in the most satisfying outcomes and that corporal punishment belongs in the archaic past, along with the dinosaurs. Teacher Francis Gilbert pointed out in the Guardian that "in the military, independent thought can be fatal, whereas in schools, it's absolutely crucial". By this, he was warning that the two institutions are simply not compatible. Recent times have sadly witnessed the moral decline of our Armed Forces. Numerous instances of wrongdoing and malfeasance have left our once admired institution shamed and humiliated.
Following the unveiling of life at Deepcut Barracks in the '90s it was found that young soldiers were being beaten, raped and abused if they dared to make their bed incorrectly. How can we ensure that such disproportionate punishment would not be carried out on our children? Following the Baha Mousa episode in Iraq - and many more incidents of illegal torture and abuses - how can we confidently declare that these individuals are fit to teach and become role models for our young and impressionable? The obvious answer is we cannot; and surely it is not worth the risk.
Thankfully, there are enough young graduates determined to enter the world of teaching - in spite of the current pension's fiasco. The Teach First Leadership Development Programme received 4151 applicants this year; only 5 of whom were ex-military. This suggests that many within the military or not even interested in becoming full-time educators, some, perhaps, only entering the profession to secure long-term employment. Given the choice, I believe that many parents - whilst not discriminating against the Armed Forces - would prefer their child to be taught by an intelligent, concerned, thoughtful and kind professional than a militant, aggressive, disciplinarian former Army officer (the only possible exception being PE, where perhaps an ex-soldier would excel in the field of sport and exercise).
Another concern is that the 'Troops to Teachers' scheme is being implemented for all the wrong reasons. It actively encourages discrimination and inequality; it is illiberal beyond all belief. Among the findings that our coalition seem so determined to underline is the fact that 82% of ex-military teachers are male; compared to just 18% of traditionally trained teachers. Whilst I accept that too few men enter the world of teaching, surely it is more essential that the best person for the job gets the job - be it man, woman or bird! To apply a format that boasts of offering better opportunities for men must surely be wrong on every level. Secondly, by offering ex-soldiers free training, is that not discriminating against and squeezing out hard-working fee-paying trainees?
The whole policy stinks and, quite frankly, is irrelevant and out of touch with today's modern educational system. It is no longer necessary to scare children in to performing well at school. Instead, you encourage and offer proper support; support that an ex-military official - or a man for that matter - may not be best placed to provide. Surely the most important thing is for our kids to enjoy school and get the best out of it. Soldiers, detentions and cane's are all unnecessary and detrimental. As Francis Gilbert points out in the Guardian, "Times have moved on, but sadly Gove and his miserable policies have not".