Our inner cities need troops in the classrooms, write Tom Burkard and Captain AK Burki (a British Army Officer) in ‘Something Can Be Done’.
This report outlines how their original ‘Troops for Teachers’ proposal could soon become reality in Greater Manchester. It urges action to bring forward proposals for a Phoenix free school model, to be staffed entirely by ex-military personnel. Lord Guthrie, the former Chief of Defence Staff, has agreed to become a patron.
In view of the urgency of the effort against urban gangs, the report concludes that the Phoenix model would be able to make a positive contribution to bringing about a solution, if it were exempted from the sclerotic timetable which is currently compulsory in Free School applications.
Lord Guthrie, the former Chief of Defence staff: “If this school is a success, then it should serve as a model for a chain of hundreds of schools across the country. That is why I was honoured to be invited to be the Patron of the first Phoenix School.”
Media Impact:
- BBC Radio 4 Today Programme: Tom Burkard and Mary Bousted on whether soldiers make good teachers
- Times: Tom Burkard op-ed: Please Sir, Yes Sir, will work in the classroom
- Sky News: Ex-soldiers will staff school
- BBC News: Greater Manchester ‘military-style’ school proposed
- Daily Mail: Soldiers to run free school
- Conservative Home: Troops in our schools will do more than troops on our streets
- Mail Online: Ex-soldiers to teach deprived children in military style free school
- Daily Telegraph: New ‘free school’ to be run by ex-soldiers
- Telegraph: Graeme Paton: Soldiers should run schools in crackdown on indiscipline
- Telegraph: Clive Dytor: Every school has plenty to learn from a soldier
- Manchester Evening News: Plan to open Manchester school staffed by former soldiers
- Guardian (front page): Secondary school where every teacher will be a soldier
- Daily Express, Scottish Express, Daily Star: Shortage of men in primary schools
- The Independent: Men missing in primary schools
- MOD Oracle: Call to staff British schools with soldiers
- London Evening Standard: No male teachers at a quarter of primary schools
- Real Radio North West: Call to staff British schools with soldiers
- MOD Oracle: Call to staff British schools with soldiers
- Defence Management: Free schools to be run by soldiers
- Huffington Post: Military-style free school to open in Manchester
- Children and Young People Now: First free school run by ex-service personnel will operate a zero tolerance policy
