47% of British people support reintroducing National Service for 17 to 21-year-old men; 43% oppose it. 42% are in favour of National Service for women, while 48% are against it. And 49% think crime rates would fall if National Service were reintroduced. (YouGov/The Independent)
Regular readers of this blog may remember that I did two years of National Service in the army when I was young. So I have a perspective on this issue that is fast becoming unique, since I was one of the very last men to do it. I was lucky in the experience I had, which grew me up and knocked a tad of arrogance and unrealistic expectation clear out of me. But I would never advocate military service. This is because it is not good for the armed services, who never really got to grips with the horde of reluctant youngsters coming in. Nor was it of real military use or capable of offering the breadth of challenge and excitement that young men wanted and needed.
But some service to the community is a good thing. There are so many people who need help educationally and physically, and they span all age groups. Doing something others without expectation of money or reward is good for the self-image, and teaches the priviledged that service to others is an honourable and rewarding thing. At a time of life when you are idealistic organised service to others (instead of drinking beer on a beach in Thailand) is a better option than an unfocused gap year between school and college.
Actually organising a form of national service is another matter, but in principle I think it would be an excellent thing to re-introduce. Young people who have been accepted for a university would get more out of the university experience as well were they two years older.
First of all, were we to reintroduce national service, it would have to be the same for men and women. I don’t think it would be fair to make men do it but not women.
It’s certainly possible that people may get more out of university if they went two years later. But if not national service, what should they do for those two years? My dad also waited two years before going to university, he worked at a bank before going to university to study law. But I’m glad I went to university at 18. I really wanted to leave home, and there wasn’t anything else I wanted to after school.
You’ll be surprised at the number of people that do volunteer their time. Nearly everyone I know at university has done it at some point. Their motives aren’t entirely altruistic however, volunteering looks great on a job application.
I agree that there should be a national service that doesn’t involve the military. But I also think it should be optional. A compulsory national service would make young people even more disillusioned with politics and wider society. Young people don’t like being told what to do. But through peaceful persuasion and the prospect of a better career, our capacity to do good is immense.