Plans for 50 Hours of Compulsory Voluntary Work for All Under 19

[Plank]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7995652.stm


Prime Minister Gordon Brown has pledged to ensure every young person has done 50 hours of voluntary work by the time they are 19-years-old.
Mr Brown said a promise to bring in compulsory community service would be a part of his next election manifesto.
Under the scheme, the work may include helping charities and is likely to become part of the National Curriculum.
The scheme would be woven into plans to make everyone stay in education or training until the age of 18 by 2011.
Mr Brown told the News of the World newspaper: "It is my ambition to create a Britain in which there is a clear expectation that all young people will undertake some service to their community, and where community service will become a normal part of growing up in Britain.
'Clear accreditation'
"And, by doing so, the contributions of each of us will build a better society for all of us."
The prime minister added: "That would mean young people being expected to contribute at least 50 hours of community service by the time they have reached the age of 19.
"This will build on the platform provided by citizenship classes as they develop in our schools. But because the greater part of what I envisage as community service takes place outside the school day, it will require the close involvement of local community organisations and charities."
Mr Brown said the work would also be linked to a "clear system of accreditation" so that young people would be able mark their achievements gained through volunteering.
Gordon Brown first proposed the idea of a National Youth Service to channel teenagers into voluntary work last year.
It is due to be formally launched in September, and would become compulsory if Labour was re-elected.


I take it everyone under 19 opposes this idea, and everyone above 19 thinks it is brilliant? I think it is stupid. We already have 2 weeks work experience, and 50 hours voluntary work on top of exams, coursework, and part time jobs is just too much.

[Mikey]

It's dumb but what can you do :S

[IceNineKills]

I think it's a great idea.

[FlyingJesus]

2 weeks work experience is nothing and most people see it as a holiday from school anyway, and 50 hours which would be integrated in curriculum time anyway is really not a problem - it's less than 2 weeks of full time work and would probably be spaced out quite a bit anyway. Are you really suggesting that 50 hours out of 19 years is too much to be expected of you to help your own country become a better place?

[Hushie]

Well that's just not voluntary is it?

If they want to force us to do it out of school hours then that's not very fair.

[Plank]

2 weeks work experience is nothing and most people see it as a holiday from school anyway, and 50 hours which would be integrated in curriculum time anyway is really not a problem - it's less than 2 weeks of full time work and would probably be spaced out quite a bit anyway. Are you really suggesting that 50 hours out of 19 years is too much to be expected of you to help your own country become a better place?
I assumed it was outside school hours, but if it is in school hours then that makes it a bit better. Where would they fit it in though? An extended work experience, where the second half you work in a charity shop or something? I can't imagine anyone below year 8 doing it, and in year 11/12/13 theres already too much to do with exams and stuff. It would be too difficult to space it out. Who would actually organise it and force everyone to turn up? Voluntary work should remain voluntary, we should have a choice whether we do it or not.

[Blinger1]

I assumed it was outside school hours, but if it is in school hours then that makes it a bit better. Where would they fit it in though? An extended work experience, where the second half you work in a charity shop or something? I can't imagine anyone below year 8 doing it, and in year 11/12/13 theres already too much to do with exams and stuff. It would be too difficult to space it out. Who would actually organise it and force everyone to turn up? Voluntary work should remain voluntary, we should have a choice whether we do it or not.
They take away your play-lunch and instead you get to do some community service.

I think the idea is brilliant. GO GORDAN BROWN OR WHOEVER THE PM IS!

[Plank]

They take away your play-lunch and instead you get to do some community service.

I think the idea is brilliant. GO GORDAN BROWN OR WHOEVER THE PM IS!
Yeah, community service, the stuff criminals have to do after committing a crime as punishment.. I can't imagine it working out at all. Voluntary work works well because the people that do it want to be there. Forcing millions of children to do it who don't want to be there will just result in crappy jobs.

[jameslarden]

It is a good idea, but i think there should be a reward at the end - not long ago, i saw this thing on tv where kids helped out in their local community to earn tickets to a concert, and dizzy rascal was there. Something like that would be good. The concert was held especially for those who helped out.

[FlyingJesus]

Well the report says it was planned to be a part of the curriculum so I'd assume it's during school time, but just because it says "before 19" I don't think that's any reason to assume they're going to cut it into GCSE time. I'd imagine they'd try to spread it out throughout the school years so you do a few hours here and there at some mediocre level while you're young and progessively start doing something a bit more worthwhile. Like I say, 50 hours out of 19 years is nothing

[Plank]

Why should it just be young people that do it to 'bring the community together'. Surely adults are part of the community as well? If they made everyone do at least 50 hours of community service in their life time - can you imagine the uproar then?

[rnix]

The majority of people will not do teh work, they will find some way not to do it.
Like the people on benefits who choose not to work they arnt being made to work.
& To be honest, i dont see how it will help? So little imature prats (yes some teens are prats (maybe many)) working in a charity shop? I dont see this being a big success.
(:

[Blinger1]

Why should it just be young people that do it to 'bring the community together'. Surely adults are part of the community as well? If they made everyone do at least 50 hours of community service in their life time - can you imagine the uproar then?
If they start it now, in 50 years time the children will have done it too.

Its a new cycle.

[Hushie]

How are they going to force people into doing it anyway?

[Plank]

If they start it now, in 50 years time the children will have done it too.

Its a new cycle.
That still doesn't make it right. It is forced, unpaid labour.

How are they going to force people into doing it anyway?
It's probably one of those things which will never work out. I suspect a lot of people may be feeling slightly 'ill'.

[FlyingJesus]

Why should it just be young people that do it to 'bring the community together'. Surely adults are part of the community as well? If they made everyone do at least 50 hours of community service in their life time - can you imagine the uproar then?

Generally adults work anyway, and pay taxes and stuff so really do a lot more for the community than kids, let's face it.



The majority of people will not do teh work, they will find some way not to do it.


How are they going to force people into doing it anyway?

It'll be part of the curriculum just like school is, read more and rage less then you might work it out.

I can't believe people are so unwilling to use 50 out of about 166,000 hours that you have before turning 19 to help others and the country as a whole. It's really nothing at all, no wonder so many kids are fat if they can't do that much work.

[Blinger1]

I can't believe people are so unwilling to use 50 out of about 166,000 hours that you have before turning 19 to help others and the country as a whole. It's really nothing at all, no wonder so many kids are fat if they can't do that much work.
Well said. +rep mate

[-:Undertaker:-]

The flaw is that the kids who are the problem in society will refuse to do it, and that means your just punishing the good kids. Don't worry anyway, New Labour will be out of office in 2010. :)

[Plank]

Generally adults work anyway, and pay taxes and stuff so really do a lot more for the community than kids, let's face it.

It'll be part of the curriculum just like school is, read more and rage less then you might work it out.

I can't believe people are so unwilling to use 50 out of about 166,000 hours that you have before turning 19 to help others and the country as a whole. It's really nothing at all, no wonder so many kids are fat if they can't do that much work.
Yeah, but paying taxes and working doesn't exactly bring the community together. Childhood should be spent doing things what kids do - after all, they will have to work and pay taxes when they are older. It's not really out of 19 years either, because there are only a few years at the end of this period when youngsters are probably able to do it. I mean, forcing a bunch of chavs to work in a charity shop or sweep the streets - I can't imagine it going down lightly, or even benefiting the community.

Some people may support the idea and think it is brilliant - fair enough, go out and do some voluntary work then. But those that don't want to do it shouldn't have to.

[:Technical]

I'm against the idea. Even though it might be good in the long run its treating young adults like slaves. Only because they cant get enough workers to do it for them and they wont raise the pay so they pick on young adults who, lets face it, aren't exactly going to start a petition about it.

To actually get a petition read you have to come to Scotland because the scottish parliment have to read you petition. But in England they can just throw it out the winow without reading it or send you mail back saying basicly "we're not interested, we make the rules - not you".

Did you know?
Scottish courts have a "not proven" verdict, English courts must choose "not guilty" or "guilty".

God the world isn't fair.

[-:Undertaker:-]

If the Government want to sort out the youth, instead of targeting the majority with these sorts of schemes, how about target the minority who cause damage, who use violence and so on. The reason why? - because they can't they are pushovers. Yet again Labour talk tough/punish a specfic part of society.

Just like they target motorists with taxes, well the list just continues with this government and the sooner it is gone the better, only less than one year of it left and thank god.

[Technologic]

Isn't this the exact same plan Obama announced a few weeks ago?

[Jordy]

The flaw is that the kids who are the problem in society will refuse to do it, and that means your just punishing the good kids. Don't worry anyway, New Labour will be out of office in 2010. :)I'd like to agree with you there but this is yet another of example parliament just over-ruling Under 18s. Under 18s don't get their opinions heard or anything, since they can't vote the government aren't interested and can do what they like to Under 18s since it's not like we're going to vote them out?

They can continue to treat us like **** and get away with it, the Lib Dems are the only party remotely concerned about Under 18s. Fair enough 18 and 19 year olds can vote but they're hardly enough to make any difference on an elections outcome.

This seems to me like a very half-hearted attempt to bring back National Service as there was calls for it a little while back. The only way to sort out the youth problem is to bring back proper National Service for everyone or just for people with criminal records.

And yeah I agree, where's the 'Voluntary'?

[-:Undertaker:-]

back proper National Service for everyone or just for people with criminal records.
That is exactly what I believe in, you've hit the nail on the head of what needs to be done. :)

[FlyingJesus]

Yeah, but paying taxes and working doesn't exactly bring the community together. Childhood should be spent doing things what kids do - after all, they will have to work and pay taxes when they are older. It's not really out of 19 years either, because there are only a few years at the end of this period when youngsters are probably able to do it. I mean, forcing a bunch of chavs to work in a charity shop or sweep the streets - I can't imagine it going down lightly, or even benefiting the community.

Some people may support the idea and think it is brilliant - fair enough, go out and do some voluntary work then. But those that don't want to do it shouldn't have to.

Working and paying taxes kinda allows there to be a community in the first place..
I agree that kids should be allowed to be kids and I don't think anyone disputes that, but seriously 50 hours is nothing at all, and if it's done through schools I'm sure it'll be easy enough to moderate - these people are trained to sort young people out after all. As for "if you don't want to you shouldn't have to", it's becoming curriculum which means it's just like any other school activity. I'd like to assume that you don't think school itself should be optional, and this won't be any different to taking other lessons once it's integrated.


If the Government want to sort out the youth, instead of targeting the majority with these sorts of schemes, how about target the minority who cause damage, who use violence and so on. The reason why? - because they can't they are pushovers. Yet again Labour talk tough/punish a specfic part of society.

There's going to be a reward system put in place for it (based on how many hours people do in the end) which will help young people get a head start in the workplace by having proved that they can actually do a job that's required of them. This is not and never has been a punishment scheme

[Plank]

I'd like to agree with you there but this is yet another of example parliament just over-ruling Under 18s. Under 18s don't get their opinions heard or anything, since they can't vote the government aren't interested and can do what they like to Under 18s since it's not like we're going to vote them out?

They can continue to treat us like **** and get away with it, the Lib Dems are the only party remotely concerned about Under 18s. Fair enough 18 and 19 year olds can vote but they're hardly enough to make any difference on an elections outcome.

This seems to me like a very half-hearted attempt to bring back National Service as there was calls for it a little while back. The only way to sort out the youth problem is to bring back proper National Service for everyone or just for people with criminal records.

And yeah I agree, where's the 'Voluntary'?

I agree with you. It is very easy to dictate what other people should do, especially young people; but turn the idea around onto them and it's a completely different story. Do you think Gordon Brown would use some of his spare time, perhaps a couple of hours a week, working in a charity shop or sweeping the road?

Maybe instead of forcing everyone to do community service, those that break the law (criminals) should be forced to do more hours serving the community.

Maybe we will have the Gordon Youth one day in the future.

[J0SH]

Work experience for two weeks I would have done more than 50 hours, so I'm not bothered.

[Plank]

Working and paying taxes kinda allows there to be a community in the first place..
I agree that kids should be allowed to be kids and I don't think anyone disputes that, but seriously 50 hours is nothing at all, and if it's done through schools I'm sure it'll be easy enough to moderate - these people are trained to sort young people out after all. As for "if you don't want to you shouldn't have to", it's becoming curriculum which means it's just like any other school activity. I'd like to assume that you don't think school itself should be optional, and this won't be any different to taking other lessons once it's integrated.


Education/school and community service are completely different things. Hence why one is used as a punishment and the other one isn't. Being forced to do work for the community when you don't want to be there isn't going to give teenagers much of an experience or help them at all - it will probably drive them away from that sort of thing.


Work experience for two weeks I would have done more than 50 hours, so I'm not bothered.
Community service would be nothing like work experience. It's something that is used to punish criminals... so it's not exactly going to be fun is it?

[J0SH]

It's still helping the community out really if you're working with a big company or whatever, and if they want us to stay into schooling/training till we're 18 instead of 16 I'll be finished school by then, and my job would require me to be doing training, so it's ideal. :)

[VelvetClover]

Personally I think people of school age already have enough to do. You go to school for like, 6+ hours a day then have homework and revision etc.

But also 50 hours is not really that long once its spread out and you never know, most people might enjoy doing the voluntary work.

[Skajo]

It's oxymoronic, how can voluntary work be compulsory?

[Bun]

i think it's a great idea.

[Absently]

Ooh! I like this idea, I think it'd be cool and I'd like to do it. I wonder if their gonna do it over here?

[Hushie]

It'll be part of the curriculum just like school is, read more and rage less then you might work it out.


I don't see how i was raging. :rolleyes:

[iTweedz]

See it doesnt affect me in anyway shape or form as I currently volunteer at a community ran theatre what is a registered charity and do like plays for 1 week and like 2 one night gigs per week so ive got the 50 hours already!

;D

[Robbie]

See it doesnt affect me in anyway shape or form as I currently volunteer at a community ran theatre what is a registered charity and do like plays for 1 week and like 2 one night gigs per week so ive got the 50 hours already!

;D

You told me you got paid.

[-:Undertaker:-]

Then i'd question why the people who seem all for it haven't volunteered themselves, there are many charities or even public places which wouldn't mind having you spend a few hours with them a week - afterall; nothing is stopping you!

[GommeInc]

The flaw is that the kids who are the problem in society will refuse to do it, and that means your just punishing the good kids. Don't worry anyway, New Labour will be out of office in 2010. :)
Meh, I'm sure Germany could lend us a gas chamber or 2 to get rid of the "bad" kids anyway. "GommeInc - Cleansing Britain One Brat At A Time" :D

I don't see the problem with 50 hours voluntary work, it probably won't be 50 hours in a row (obviously cutting out closing times etc). It may not be for 2 weeks, but for the whole year, so an hour or two a week. That's not alot, infact saying that would get in the way of anything is just lazy :/ Though I do have one doubt and that is, would grammar/private schools participate? Or will their wealthy parents think otherwise? :P


It's oxymoronic, how can voluntary work be compulsory?
Indeed, but knowing this country they forget what words mean, just think they sound nice. Technically it is compulsory labour, though they must soften the blow with a nicer name.

[Sixiz]

Well they should include school work into that

[Jordy]

I don't see how it can be fitted into the schooling system, 2 weeks is a lot of work and bare in mind a lot leave school after 16. The most viable way of doing it would be to take 2 weeks out of the 6 weeks holiday at Year 11 but that just sounds too sensible and easy for our government, they'll find some way of confusing it.

[Yoshimitsui]

If its going to allow children to gain more experience in the work place for a longer period than current work experience programme then it is a good idea. Letting them explore different roles in the big world is beneficial and will be a lot more interesting and effective than sitting in a classroom learning things you wont really use in life.

[FlyingJesus]

Where have they said it's only going to take place over 2 weeks? 2 weeks is to do with work experience which young people do already through schools, this could be done over an entire school year at something like an hour and a half a week or perhaps even over two years and take one lesson period (guessing most schools have hour long periods) per week to do it - that's absolutely nothing and anyone who truly believes that school kids have too much to do really needs their head checked.

@Dan: saying you wouldn't mind doing something isn't the same as saying you want to do it :P

[Laggings]

Wow, damn glad I live in America. This sucks for you guys :(

[kuzkasate]

OMG. That is so crap! But I will do it if you get £ :D

[Yoshimitsui]

OMG. That is so crap! But I will do it if you get £ :D


ehrm.. :P

" Plans for 50 Hours of Compulsory Voluntary Work for All Under 19"

[Bun]

OMG. That is so crap! But I will do it if you get £ :D
*Removed*
Edited by preposterous (Forum Moderator) - Please don't insult other members.

[.x.miss.angel.x]

If i get to choose i will, If im put somewhere, doing somthing i dont like (Like litter picking, Ill drive the truck for em :D i may crash into downing street first though....)

I already work in my school library on a monday, Am a form rep too, I mean i must of done more than 50 hours now :D

[Throne Sofa]

sounds fun

[CJW93]

Fat scottish *******. Stick his idea up his ars