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RESIST MILITARISATION OF EDUCATION


A proposal by the Centre for Policy Studies CPS (founded by Keith Joseph and Margaret Thatcher in 1974 and keen to roll back the state) aims to open a 'free' school in Manchester. The school is to be staffed exclusively by ex armed forces personnel. The CPS argues, opportunistically, that before we put troops on the street we should consider putting them in our schools. It plans to teach 'martial values' which it sees as 'self discipline, respect and an ability to listen'. In other words for pupils to know their place and do what they are told and no doubt grow up to be similarly compliant adults.

After the First World War the government feared revolution due to discontent amongst demobilised soldiers. Today, as troops return from their failed wars, the fears may not be of revolution but certainly of social unrest and worst of all criticism of the government as heroes are unable to find work. As the country seemes to have fallen blindly in love with the armed forces (everyone loves a looser) in a strange reversal of rolling back the state and encouraging independence, ex military are being mollycoddled by the nanny state and helped to 'integrate' into civil society. It is these men and women who need 'integrating' into our world that we are asked to believe will be the best teachers.

While we still have armed forces we should resist their encroachment into civil society and keep them within the barbed wire fences of their camps. They have nothing useful to teach us unless we look to the military rulers in Syria, Iran, Egypt, Burma , etc., etc., for role models.

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Michael Buerk talks to Joe Glenton about how he made the choice to abandon the army and his colleagues because he couldn't agree with the war he had witnessed in Afghanistan.

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SWIMMING AGAINST THE TIDE
The Peace Pledge Union Story 1934 - 2009
ISBN 978-0-902680-51-7
PRICE £6.50 + p&p

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Swimming Against the Tide, published on the PPU's 75th anniversary, tells the story of a group of people who challenged the belief that organised killing of fellow human beings is a just and moral project.

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