Military 'Softening-Up' Pupils

Christine Grahame is a list MSP for the south of Scotland. In other words she didn't win election to Holyrood but attained her seat courtesy of her party, the SNP, whose members voted for her.

At times she has been controversial and at times I have supported her, but her latest outburst shows how out of touch she is with reality.

Six months ago she complained the army were recruiting in 'poor' areas. Now she is accusing the Ministry of Defence of a campaign of deception over visits to Scottish schools by representatives of the armed forces. She claims the MoD are 'softening up pupils' for recruitment when they reach the age of 16 and that they were visiting primary schools and nurseries and she wants the visits banned.

Time Ms Grahame did a fact-finding tour rather than sitting in her plush office reading documents she has received from local authorities. The police service, fire service and various other public services visit schools so why is Ms Grahame discriminating against the military? Don't our children deserve to meet people who dedicate their lives towards our protection or is it only the men in camouflage kit who they shouldn't be permitted to meet?

The senior Army commander in Scotland, Brigadier George Lowder, said the army "simply do not recruit in schools - primary or secondary".

"The army gets numerous informal and official requests from schools every year and gets no special treatment or access, but neither should it be excluded or discriminated against.

"This is not recruiting - far from it."

The army has careers officers who will visit a school if invited, in the same way as the police and other services visit schools to speak to young people who are of an age to make career choices. Any military personnel who visit schools, other than careers officers, ought to be welcomed by our political masters because children need to hear first hand how our country is protected and perhaps the older ones will become aware of how the military is regularly used as political pawns by our leaders.

A soldier speaking to a group of children and answering their questions can create confidence in our youngsters, because they see a person of discipline and knowledge interacting with them, the 'real deal', rather than reading information from a book or watching a video. Children will remember a visit and chat from a member of our armed forces far longer than a propaganda visit from a politician.

Maybe that's Ms Grahame's gripe.

Tweet