SCHOOL CADETS

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 85, 10 April 1935, Page 8

SCHOOL CADETS

LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL

WITHDRAWAL OF SUPPORT

The education committee of the London County Council decided after a long debate to cease to authorise Cadet Corps in its own secondary schools.

The committee also decided, in communicating the resolution to the governing bodies of secondary schools aided by the council, to express the hope that they will see their way**to follow the council's action in the matter; but "in any event will be glad to.be assured that the admission of a boy will not be made conditional on his joining a school Cadet or Officers' Training Corps." The decision must first be communicated to the London County Council as a whole. In reporting the meeting "The Times" said:— The matter arose on a report of the higher education sub-committee. Mr. Eric Hall moved to substitute the following for the recommendations of the committee:— . • ■. "That the education committee, while determined, that nothing shall be countenanced in the schools under their control which is likely to inculcate views contrary to the spirit of peace and international good will, do not Consider —(I) that any evidence has been adduced ■ that the training received in the Cadet Corps in secondary schools has not considerable, educational advantage; or (2) that the existj ence of Cadet Corps on their present voluntary basis has a militaristic.influence on the character of their members." *■ : EFFECT ON CHILDREN. In moving his amendment, Mr. Hall said,that three weeks ago the chairman (Mrs. Lowe) told the committee that the party had been thinking about the matter for some time, and had been in communication with three headmasters of secondary schoolswhere Cadet Corps existed. Those headmasters had stated that Cadet Corps had had no bad influence on children under their charge. Yet it appeared that the sub-committee "/as going to recommend an alteration in the regulations. The reason why he was moving the amendment was that no evidence had been adduced that the Cadet Corps had had any injurious effect on the children. On the other hand, he and his friends thought them extremely valuable in training character and in bringing out hidden possibilities in the child. ,'. .■.-.'.'-, ; ... He had had long talks "with adolescent boys with regard to the,effect of military training. There had been a few exceptional cases where a boy had said that he secured no practical advantage, but for the most, part boys gained a great deal from the kind of discipline involved. He thought that was an advantage, for there; was a tendency throughout the whole,of the country hot to face any form of discipline. If that were so, then the kind of

training given in some of the Cadet Corps might be extremely beneficial to the type of mind which was resentful of any form of criticism. It was suggested that the spirit and practice of the barracks was out of keeping with sound learning; but he thought the spirit of the barracks was very far from that of the Cadet Corps. "NO EDUCATIONAL VALUE." Mr. C. R. Simpson, chairman of the higher education sub-committee, said that they were an education committee and not a junior branch of the War Office. They had to consider, as members- of the education committee, in view of the complaints they were receiving of growing expenditure, j whether they were getting value for 'the training; and they had come to the conclusion that they were no longer warranted in allowing the use of their organisation. It was not clear that the Cadet Corps had any educational value. The War Office had decided that there was no military advantage in continuing Cadet Corps for boys between the ages of 12 and 15, and the education officer had never advised that Cadet Corps were, a part of education which the* council should take up. Where there were Cadet Corps there was weak physical .training. There was a case in which boys who ought to have been continuing their education were out at 9 o'clock until 4 o'clock with machine-guns borrowed from a Territorial unit. There were 100 rifles and the boys went to the playing fields in khaki. He suggested that that was showing the boys the more attractive side of ihe military character. There was marching to a band and dressing up. The beastly side of warfare was omitted. That was helping to build up a false standard of values. It was a relic of a past we did not desire to gd back to. The job of the committee was not to give the boy vocational training for the Army, but to fit him for life and industry. : '.'..' "■■■.'■. Major Spencer said that the British National Cadet Association's objects were to give mental, morali' and physi* cal training to boys, and so to form character which .would enable them to make a good start in life; to develop in them principles of patriotism and good citizenship, and to fit them, in the event of national emergency, to take their place in the defence 6f the country. ■

The amendment was lost and the recommendation carried, Afterwards the committee decided that the use of the school organisation be not allowed in connection with the attendance of children at military displays and similar functions. The action was taken "in view of the desire of the council to encourage schools to inculcate the spirit of peace" and international good will." . ,:■"';.