Here's a government scheme that's got the goods. But first, let me give the preamble that yes, this govt is cutting everything it possibly can whether or not it causes mass riots. This includes youth and early intervention services. So this is not in favour of the govt's actions broadly. However, as a standalone policy, I like this one and this volunteerism has a serious place in building a stable society and preventing a repeat of the Aug 2011 riots.
The National Citizen Service is a non-military national service programme for 16 year olds to be run each summer.
The pilots took place in the summer 2011 with 11,000 16 year olds taking part in a 3 week scheme.
Week 1 is an outdoor activity course (presumably to promote teamwork and bonding), week 2 is volunteering in a neighbourhood and week 3 is designing and carrying out a community project. The govt hope that in 2012 30,000 teens will take part after their GCSEs with the eventual aim of rolling it out to 600,000.
However to be truly beneficial to society, it must have a mixed intake. Hugh from Dulwich and LaTonya from Edmonton need to learn to get along if we're ever going to have a safer, more equal and tolerant society.
Volunteering in and of itself is a Good Thing. It teaches people about other walks of life, promotes community, cohesion, tolerance, and obviously provides help where help is needed. It is not something that should be lauded, but something that should be done as a natural and normal part of civic life.
Possibly the biggest problem with our yoof is that they have no sense of themselves as part of a larger, diverse community. They are over-individualised, frequently angry and prefer an iPhone 5 to the social contract. They band together in 'postcode gangs' to find some sort of meaning. If the NCS can get to a few of these disenfranchised, tribalistic young people and take them abseiling and make them serve tea to Betty down the road, then maybe we'll have a few less dead teenagers on our streets in the future.
Sources/further reading:
Conservative Party spiel here
Nifty govt site with teenage testimonials here
Guardian piece here
The National Citizen Service is a non-military national service programme for 16 year olds to be run each summer.
The pilots took place in the summer 2011 with 11,000 16 year olds taking part in a 3 week scheme.
Week 1 is an outdoor activity course (presumably to promote teamwork and bonding), week 2 is volunteering in a neighbourhood and week 3 is designing and carrying out a community project. The govt hope that in 2012 30,000 teens will take part after their GCSEs with the eventual aim of rolling it out to 600,000.
However to be truly beneficial to society, it must have a mixed intake. Hugh from Dulwich and LaTonya from Edmonton need to learn to get along if we're ever going to have a safer, more equal and tolerant society.
Volunteering in and of itself is a Good Thing. It teaches people about other walks of life, promotes community, cohesion, tolerance, and obviously provides help where help is needed. It is not something that should be lauded, but something that should be done as a natural and normal part of civic life.
Possibly the biggest problem with our yoof is that they have no sense of themselves as part of a larger, diverse community. They are over-individualised, frequently angry and prefer an iPhone 5 to the social contract. They band together in 'postcode gangs' to find some sort of meaning. If the NCS can get to a few of these disenfranchised, tribalistic young people and take them abseiling and make them serve tea to Betty down the road, then maybe we'll have a few less dead teenagers on our streets in the future.
youcanarguewithstupid
Sources/further reading:
Conservative Party spiel here
Nifty govt site with teenage testimonials here
Guardian piece here
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