Bring back Borstal?

[-:Undertaker:-]

Bring back Borstal?

It was only recently that the programme Bring Back Borstal was shown on television and it featured teenagers who had been involved in crime and disorder being sent (voluntarily since it was a show) to a place based on the former Borstal schools which used to exist across Britain until a few decades ago: indeed, they still exist across the Commonwealth. They're basically old fashioned boarding schools set in imposing buildings with a military style programme that inmates have to live under: rather different from the modern Youth Dentention Centres which are more based on counselling and schooling. Essentially: they were brought in years ago as a way of straightening up young men before they entered the prisons system through hard work and a strict routine.

It was only recently I was talking with a teacher from my school who remarked how the behaviour of children was even worse than when I was in school: and my school wasn't even an inner-city comprehensive like most. Aside from giving teachers more power in schools, do you think a system like Borstal should be brought back similar to what they have in some American states for young criminals? Or are you more prone to a system like we have now of counselling and trying to school these teenagers away from mainstream schools?

There are plenty of nifty prizes to be won within this forum and within the coming weeks we'll hopefully have some new awards and prizes to be won in this forum and beyond. Focus on putting a good argument forward, try to be controversial and you'll be rewarded!

The debate is open to you.