See, there is nothing in the course notes stating that. Somebody else has made that up or has got into the habit of over-teaching.
There is no requirement for students to perform the physical tasks if they are not able to, and that does not invalidate their involvement. The course summary states “Give all your trainees a certificate of attendance at the end of the course.”
To try to drag us back on topic though. Blue badge first aid is probably aimed about right. It is Gold FA in its present form which I think needs to be taken back to the drawing board!
Not convinced on that, but the classifications should at the least be brought into the Blue-Gold concept and maybe renamed as Aviation Training or somesuch.
My suggestion on that concept was that PTS should count as ‘points’ towards a classification (and an Av. Trg PTS introduced for senior/master), such that you would need a certain number of points to achieve a classification.
My interpretation of the PTS stuff was that, after blue - which everybody should get a chance at doing - the rest was voluntary.
I know that as a cadet I had less that zero interest in, for example, the playing an instrument. So why would my chances at having a classification possibly be damaged by not getting a bronze drum? And can we really blame cadets for not progressing through the flying and shooting sides of the PTS with the much talked about shortages…?
I think the system is fine as it is. Maybe if anything you colour the classification badges to mirror the levels. Blue = first class, Bronze = Leading, Silver = Senior and Gold for Master. Gives everyone a chance to gain higher levels regardless of their ability to attend specialist courses.
No, but I did go on to say “as capable as they possibly can be” - why would I, as a trainer, willfully damage my integrity by not getting the best out of my trainees in the time available or attempting to correct bad drills?
That was the point of my suggestion - you’d need to some some PTS stuff each time you wanted to increase in classification level, not all of it. And it’d be an improvement on the current system, where if you have no real interest in STEM then… well tough, you’re doing STEM subjects for classification training anyway.
@incubus > The PTT seems to be driven , at least in part, by a desire to move away from the old, bare brassards and into a world where badges cam be achieved earlier and newer cadets can get some sense of achievement more simply.
This just plays into the badge for nothing culture in schools.
I’ve seen cadets in school blazers festooned with badges for not a lot and effectively turning up.
I think we should bin the PTS and go back to how it was, at least with all the faults, classification badges mark a step in life as a cadet and is as always done at squadron level and unlike shooting and radio (and to some extent FA) the ability of individual squadrons for whatever reasons to deliver and not be reliant on other squadron(s). First and foremost you need with radio especially staff with an interest in it. A sqn in our area has CI who is a Ham on the sqn and they do lots of radio, the rest of us nothing.
PTS was thrown out there with gay abandon by HQAC without the slightest clue as how it was going to work. Hence we are where we are a very, very patchy system.
FAAW is an 18 hour qual which is IIRC the same as the silver course so I would expect something higher for Gold.
Personally I would do away with one specific course to get the first aid badge and have a “minimum hours” system so that FAAW would get you the silver badge. Would still mean that EFAW, which we do with our cadets instead of heartstart, falls between blue and bronze in terms of duration but at least then they can wear a first aid badge.
How many things do you do through work that are just that and yet people build jobs around them.
I’ve and others have done numerous things over the years which involve spending a few days sitting in a room and make us the de facto expert, goes on the CV and or gets you a pay rise.
If only you lot would trade your “class” for grooming, uniform, and drill standards
Although I’m sure a fine, upstanding CFAV such as yourself works hard to ensure that such stereotypical accusations couldn’t be levelled at your cadets…
