King Hazza,
A NS focusing on daily essential services activities will produce an appreciation for anyone who is performing those tasks even for only a short period. An unwelcome experience is an experience & experience is what counts (sorry academics) in forging any individual's mentality. You can write & talk about vital but unpleasant work but this will never open one's mind to reality. Only experience does that. My proposal is just that. Get young people to work in essential services such as health, law & order, farming, railway maintenance, water & waste water treatment, road work etc etc. You'd be surprised how many will actually seek employment in those industries once they've been exposed to them. Despite this push to go to Uni which btw. does not solve our dilemma (just look around) many young people are more inclined to perform manual tasks which offer more satisfaction of achievement than the artificially popularised academia. If a young person does not achieve leaving certificate standard (I mean a real one) than they should have the option of doing an apprenticeship, use their natural talents to make a living, work as labourers or any work which does not require more education but leaves their opportunities open to become people paying for their oxygen. Stop forcing useless & unnecessary education down young peoples' throats. Most successful people don't come from academia, they come from experience & common sense. NS will provide the the first rung on the ladder to working life. Education for education's sake is merely a slippery ramp leading to a conveyor belt loading incompetence.

But most young people HAVE self-discipline, self-esteem etc.
So again, NS would be redundant and unnecessary at best, and at worst, a huge interruption into their lives.

If most young people willingly volunteer in their own time (doing something they actually picked, and in a time they could spare), then it further outlines why volunteer work NS is also unnecessary.

"Life skills" are just as much learnt in the workforce, TAFE colleges, trade schools and apprenticeship roles- which those willing would have to put off just to learn 'discipline' which they already had, and 'life skills' they may never have use of.

So the "young people (generally) would benefit" is outright wrong.

Again, if these services do indeed straighten out the troubled ones- make it a requirement for work-for-the-dole benefits- so it actually specifically targets THEM.

And I'm still doing most of the narrowing of criteria here- you guys still have not specified what NS will involve- other than a few very vague and subjective outcomes, and learning bush tucker.

King Hazza:

The concept of a National Service is as follows,....a period of approximately 12 weeks Recruit Training to teach each individual the difference between his ( where you see "his" interpret as "his/her" ) right foot and his left foot.

The skills of learning to tie his shoelaces, shave his face daily, make his bed and do as he is told, when he is told. He is taught not to pick his nose and spit in public. These are basic "skills" that all young people should be taught by their parents, but unfortunately seem to be lacking in a great deal of the youth of today.

The recruit is taught basic survival skills, knowledge and use of weaponry and is generally versed in all the basic facets of warfare.

At the completion of this 3 month period he has attained sufficient skills to soldier on should the situation arise.

The N S Recruit can now embark on an upgrade of his basic education,attaining an acceptable level of English, Maths and Physics. This can generally be achieved in a period of 6 weeks or so. The recruit is then in a position to select or be guided into a Trade of choice. ( The choices are wide and varied, but generally fit into the military machine.)

Unless the Recruit is a total dummy, he will have aquired the skills of a basic trade after a period of two years and would be given the option of taking up a trade profession in civilian enterprise, or alternatively utilizing his new-found skills by becoming a member of the Permanent Defence Force.

Whichever direction the N S Recruit may choose after his two years, would certainly have to be better than his sitting on his block, getting paid for watching TV, or generally moping around the local shopping centres, or looking for some poor old codger to mug for his pension money!

Okay guys, thanks for the laugh.

I wasn't *entirely* sure you were all having me on, but I'm quite satisfied now, thanks (especially you Crackup)!

Although individual- are you saying that NS/work is indeed an effort to prevent someone getting an extended education and make them fill an unpopular career path?

Dear Squeers,

I'm glad that you've taken the trouble to
explain your position. I now understand
where you're coming from. I think that we
can all agree on the futility of war. However,
I think what Individual is suggesting in this
thread is some sort of Government program to
provide life skills for troubled youths that are
currently being overlooked in our society.
National Service was his suggestion.
Perhaps you could come up with a better one?

King Hazza,
Yes a lot of young people display self esteem & discipline. Nobody seeks NS/work to be an effort to prevent someone getting an extended education and make them fill an unpopular career path? That is an exceptionally divisive & ignorant statement. NS will provide positive peer pressure apart from the not obvious to you benefits to society.
We need to to focus on all young people to get the start they deserve & this includes a sense of responsibility. Those who already are that way inclined will not be so selfish as to not wish to pass this mentality on to others. Only selfish "everybody owes me" types object to this part of nation/society building. We alway complain about the imbalance of wages well, with a better understanding of how society works these young people will become less ignorant adults than many of their parents today.