Turn former troops into teachers – MP

A SECONDARY school in Plymouth has been urged to take on ex-service personnel as teachers who would bring “authority and discipline” to the classroom.

Tory MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport Oliver Colvile recalled his own school days to highlight the benefits of the government drive to recruit veterans into education.

Speaking during a Commons debate on support for the armed forces and veterans, he also pressed for steps to be taken to ensure support was provided for reservists returning from the frontline, who he argued were sometimes overlooked.

The Government recently announced a charity is to receive £1.5 million to introduce military veterans into schools.

From September, SkillForce will run three projects in schools using former personnel who have served on the front line, including mentoring. Mr Colvile suggested veterans could work in Marine Academy Plymouth.

Announcing the move, Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “There is a huge opportunity for those people who have served their country in uniform to serve their country in our schools.

“They have many of the virtues that parents across the country feel have disappeared from our schools and need to be restored: self-discipline, a sense of purpose and a belief in the importance of working as a team.

“Ex-service personnel will act as inspiring role models for the next generation.”

Welcoming the initiative to recruit veterans, Mr Colvile said: “I remember being at prep school as a child of eight. One of my masters was regularly carted off to hospital because of the gas he had inhaled in the first world war.

“We had nothing but total support for him, and his authority in the classroom ensured that we were brought up in a very disciplined way.

“If I may say so, I certainly hope that our service personnel who become teachers will act in the same way to put some authority and discipline back into the classroom – especially in some of our inner-city schools.”

He added: “I am delighted that Plymouth University is in the process of sponsoring a marine academy in the city. I hope it will look at ways of recruiting some of the ex-service personnel to teach there, which would be most helpful.”

Mr Colvile also pressed ministers over progress being made on moves to improve mental healthcare for veterans, and sought confirmation they would be fully funded by the NHS.

The MP has previously warned failing to tackle mental health problems among veterans and serving personnel will store up trouble for the future.

He said: “We should ensure that the mechanisms and infrastructure are in place to look after reservists once they come back.

“Last week, on a course, I was approached by the Royal British Legion, which told me that it would be enormously helpful if the Government made reservists' details available to charities. To overcome data protection restrictions, perhaps reservists should be asked to tick a box that would allow their details to be shared with such excellent charities.”

Defence Minister Andrew Robathan said a counselling and support helpline operated by the national mental health charity Combat Stress was now up and running.