From Soldiers to Teachers

This item from the UK MOD news service describes an interesting school reform that calls for assistance to retrain former soldiers (since a lot of folks will be leaving the UK military) as teachers. Best case: these former soldiers will be able to bring the leadership skills, discipline, and work ethic to the classroom and be role models for their students. Worst case: the schools will not allow these new teachers to emply their gifts, and the teachers will become miserable and disaffected, as my ex-army dad was when he turned to teaching. Good luck to them. MP+


Plans to encourage troops to become teachers
A Defence Policy and Business news article
25 Nov 10

Plans to encourage Service personnel leaving the Armed Forces to become teachers were announced yesterday, 24 November 2010, as part of the Schools White Paper released by the Department for Education.





A Gurkha soldier teaches schoolchildren about biodiversity at Hythe Ranges in Kent (stock image)
[Picture: Allan House, Crown Copyright/MOD 2005]


'The Importance of Teaching' outlines the Coalition Government's schools reform programme. It draws heavily on evidence learned from the world's best education systems, and will see heads and teachers driving school improvement, the Education Department announced.

Part of the plan relates to Armed Forces leavers. The White Paper states:

"We will encourage Armed Forces leavers to become teachers by developing a 'Troops to Teachers' programme which will sponsor Service leavers to train as teachers.

"We will pay tuition fees for PGCEs [postgraduate certificates in education] for eligible graduates leaving the Armed Forces and work with universities to explore the possibility of establishing a bespoke compressed undergraduate route into teaching targeted at Armed Forces leavers who have the relevant experience and skills but may lack degree-level qualifications.

"We will encourage Teach First* to work with the Services as they develop Teach Next, so that Service leavers are able to take advantage of new opportunities to move into education.

"Service leavers also have a great deal to offer young people as mentors and we will be looking to increase opportunities for this.

"The charity Skill Force does fantastic work in this area enabling more former Armed Forces personnel to work alongside the children who benefit most from their support."

Read the whole piece here.