Pupils 'lured' into armed forces

By Hannah Goff BBC News, at the NUT Conference   The MoD says it visits schools only when invited Teachers are accusing the Ministry of Defence of using "sophisticated" methods to lure youngsters, often in deprived areas, into the armed forces. National Union of Teachers delegates in Manchester will debate a motion later calling for an end to "recruitment" in schools in England and Wales. Teachers say pupils are not made fully aware of what they are signing up to. The MoD says it is invited into about 1,000 schools a year, but its teams go to raise awareness not recruit. 'Informed choices' Catherine Brennan, a teacher from Croydon, south London, who is presenting the motion, said recruiters use information which does not allow young people to make informed choices. "They are too young to vote, too young to drink, too young to drive, but they are considered old enough to sign up for years in the armed forces without being fully aware of what they are signing themselves up for in their lives," she said. We are talking about a much more sophisticated method of recruitment Chris Kelly Another teacher, Chris Kelly, from Lambeth, south London, said: "The Ministry of Defence has got a programme for distributing information to every secondary school. They run programmes across the country and send army personnel to talk to young people in schools. "These are often in areas of high levels of unemployment." Humanitarian work, such as digging wells in war-ravaged Sierra Leone, is often highlighted alongside the chance to improve interpersonal skills. Mr Kelly added: "We are talking about a much more sophisticated method of recruitment - putting eligible young people who are good communicators in assembly halls." 'Limited opportunities' NUT general secretary Steve Sinnott told reporters before the NUT conference that he was concerned youngsters from poorer backgrounds were being targeted. "Youngsters from the most disadvantaged backgrounds have more limited opportunities in life than youngsters from better off backgrounds. "It's simply a fact. I am not saying that youngsters from disadvantaged backgrounds cannot get something from a career in the military." A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "We do not recruit in schools. "The single-service schools teams visit about 1,000 schools a year between them only at the invitation of the school - with the aim of raising the general awareness of their armed forces in society, not to recruit." Roger Leighton, head teacher of Sydney Russell School, in Dagenham Essex, said people could have a fantastic life with a career in the armed forces. "I can't see any problem with the army coming in and recruiting in schools," he added