Why I'm worried about Troops for Teachers

I have nothing at all against former service personel becoming teachers. If they have the desire and the aptitude, why not? They have as much right to enter the teaching profession as everyone else. What worries me slightly, however, about the government policy of actively recruiting servicemen and women into the profession - and indeed providing funding to make it happen - is why it is necessary ? Why, in the first place is there such a shortage of teachers? And why does the government feel that soldiers are the best people to fill this gap? My worry is that the second question pretty much answers the first. Has teaching today become as much about managing a classroom or unruly kids as it is about educating?

Teaching has one of the highest drop-out rates of any profession - partly due to the enormous mountains of admin teachers need to do in addition to their day-jobs - and partly due to the stresses and strains of dealing with children who for whatever reason lack any respect for their authority. To be fair, we're probably only talking about a handful in any class - but of course, they will be the kids who set the bar for the lesson. What we need to look at is why teachers (and the police, and any other adult for that matter) command so little respect in today's society.

I honestly don't think it's all about the parents. I have a very good friend who's child has gone off the rails to the point that he was recently permanently excluded from school. Her other children are fine. She and her husband are not only law-abiding, hard-working citizens - they are models of the 'Big Society' - both volunteering with children's organisations. The 'problem child' kept getting into trouble because he refused to accept authority/ At 13 felt that he was grown up enough to govern his own life fully. Rules he viewed as petty (of which there are many at school to keep control of the masses!) such as uniform restrictions enraged him. Why should he??

I don't know what the answer is, and sadly, nor does my friend. She is unable to get through to her son, despite trying incredibly hard. There's a lot of talk in the press about increasing depression and mental health issues in young people brought on by sedentary lifestyles and early academic pressure. And it does seem to me that not every child is cut out for academic studies. Which is not at all to say that they aren't bright or capable of learning. Simply that they may not have an interest in all of the subjects they are taught at school. The new 14-19 curriculum does seem to address this to an extent, and the government is talking about doubling the number of apprenticeship postions available over the next couple of years. This may take care of quite a few of the trouble-makers at GCSE and beyond.

For the rest though, perhaps a bit of military discipline is what is needed. I don't argue with that at all. I'm simply sad that we've somehow got into this position.