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

[-: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.