In order to get my head around this government initiative I’ve looked back at a number of the statements made by the recently departed Sec of State for Education and other government announcements concerning the expansion of CCFs in state schools and I offer the following as a first cut and probably flawed analysis.
Traditional Values and Discipline
(1) The Conservative element of the coalition government is strong on “traditional values”.
(2) Michael Gove was keen to promote the virtues of private education with traditional values as a model for state schools to aspire to.
(3) Independent schools are deemed to have no discipline problems ( and many have CCFs).
(4) Many state schools are perceived to have discipline problems ( and most do not have CCFs).
(5) The huge value of cadet forces for state school pupils is exemplified by the success of community based units who turn out well rounded individuals.
QED: solve the discipline problems in some state schools by introducing CCFs as a first step to moving towards a “total curriculum” approach enjoyed currently within most independent education. (Ignore the fact that the Teachers hours contracts introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s destroyed the very state provision the current govt appears to wish to re-introduce).
Finance.
(1) Fund the new CCFs by looking for commercial/other sponsors.
QED: introduce new CCFs without affecting the current funding structure.
However, when you cannot raise the money this way you cannot back down so find other funding options.
(2) Given that most independent schools charge for non-core activities (and CCFs have often been an exception) introduce a charge (£225 per year?) which equates to ATC subs of £18.75 per cadet per month. Pay that to the centre. ( with @ 40,000 CCF cadets that makes £9M).
(3) Teachers in independent schools are not normally paid for running clubs and sports teams so why should they get extra for CCF? That will be a huge saving!!! Retain that at the centre.
(4) Schools already pay for accommodation, heat , light, admin consumables so they are a non-issue.
Things Forgotten/Ignored
(1) In order for cadets to be s success in schools the new CCFs will have to be integral part of school life the contingents would have to be run by experienced members of the core staff and not outsiders. This will be a real challenge – I recently saw an established contingent from a state school on summer camp. There were NO teachers on the CCF staff all were external volunteers with an average age of 65!!
(2) The equation between discipline, CCFs and independent schools is misunderstood. Most independent schools share common values with their pupils and their parents. Whether or not there is a CCF there is usually a disciplined learning environment. The CCF is not the prime factor.
(3) The great strength of community based cadet organisations is that they are not run by schools. The staff, processes and procedures are run by a different body of adults and it is a voluntary activity for cadets.
(4) Many cadets in community based units do not last long (I have seen 18 mths quoted). Those retained are the committed. I doubt that schools will want to have such a free flow and so an element of compulsion will be evident (even if only to the end of an academic year)……suddenly you are back to “ just another school lesson”.
Final Thoughts.
It is right and proper to look at the long term funding of cadets. Independent schools have benefitted for a low cost/ no cost pupil development option for a long time and it may be time to make changes. Whoever is elected in 2015 will have hard choices to make (it is only the speed in the increase of the deficit that is declining – the National Debt is growing. Lastly the core thinking behind this initiative, Traditional Values and Discipline, seems flawed to me.