Should the Military Be Allowed to Recruit in Public School?

Should the Military be allowed to recruit in public school?

Some parents and teachers have protested about military personnel visiting schools to talk to students about the armed forces. This often happened in the past anyway, but since 2002 the No Child Left behind Act has meant that US schools which receive government money must allow the military in to talk to students. Is not right to let a recruiter get at students who are too young to vote, or even drive, 16 and 17 year olds are not grown-up enough to make life and death decisions, like joining the army. Young people are not stupid - they know that there are risks involved in joining the military. A career in the military also offers young people a lot of benefits, and it is only right that they should get to hear about those as well. And no one is signed up on the spot in the classroom; they always get the chance to think about it over a few months or more, and to discuss the decision carefully with parents. Our military is an all-volunteer force and must recruit openly to keep up its numbers. The army, navy and air force need well-educated and motivated recruits so that they can defend our country from its enemies. After all, college representatives and local employers are allowed to make presentations to students, so it would be unfair to keep just the military out. If you accept that we need armed forces, then you must allow them to recruit openly. Recruiters should not minimize the risks of a military career, but the armed forces do have a good story to tell and they should not be prevented from doing so. There really are great opportunities for keen, talented young people in the military, and almost all soldiers find it a very satisfying life. And compared with the past, soldiers today are much better looked after in terms of physical, medical and psychological wellbeing. There is nothing wrong with collecting information about students. As no one thinks that students should be signed up at their classroom desks, recruiters need to record contact details so that they can follow up students who have shown an interest in the military. The new law was necessary as some schools tried to deny recruiters a chance to contact students.

Joining the military gives soldiers more perks than in previous decades. The Army offers money for education, health care, family services and cash allowances to cover the cost of living. Paying for a college education is also a big bonus for prospective recruits. The Army also offers classes to active duty and reserve soldiers through online universities and learning facilities in Army posts.

Military provides important role in disadvantaged communities, providing positive role models and encouraging students to finish school (the US army now requires recruits to have at least a high school diploma). And many soldiers from tough areas say that if they hadn't joined the military they would have been sucked into criminal gangs instead. The military almost always aim their recruitment towards possible and able candidates who are able to serve full time once given the proper training and guidance. There is clearly no research so far that can justify that these students who are capable of being in the military usually are handicapped in their studies or are deemed unfit for the schooling environment. Furthermore, the military will not discriminate recruitment of students just because of their education level because even students with much higher intellectual capabilities can pique the interest of the military. . On the other hand,