Consultation on petition P-04-432 Stop the Army Recruiting in Schools

Response from Reverend Gwynn ap Gwilym

Dear Sir / Madam

I wish to support the following petition:

We call on the National Assembly to urge the Welsh Government to recommend that the armed forces should not go into schools to recruit. Britain is the only country in the European Union that allows a military presence in its schools. Britain is the only country of the 27 European Union countries to recruit 16-year-old children to the armed forces. The armed forces target their recruitment in schools in the most deprived areas of Wales.

I am very concerned that the armed forces

are given the opportunity to provide careers advice in schools in Wales
give careers advice to children in areas of Wales where there is a shortage of careers;
give children a false impression of what they have to offer without disclosing that the true purpose is to train to kill and harm people.

I was taught at a school in Mid Wales where the headteacher always refused to allow the armed forces to set foot on the school grounds. I always admired him for that and I would like to see every child in Wales being protected, like I and my fellow pupils were, from the Army, the Navy and the Air force's propaganda.

Yours sincerely

Reverend Gwynn ap Gwilym