Dave Cameron's new idea of Big Society?! I wrote this article in 2006.

Fight or Flight? By Joanna Symes

With mounting pressure on future generations’ use of the earth’s resources and the competition for jobs increasing every year, shouldn’t the Government be promoting a new alternative to the student gap year?  A new compulsory coming of age National Service perhaps?  Non military service working for an overseas charity, a certified fair trade producer or an established company with an environmental mission which involves shock horror… an element of old fashioned hard graft.

With today’s students competing fervently for university places to study the life works of Madonna and yet another Media Studies course, one has to reflect whether three years of boozing and bonding really is the way forward for the world’s future decision makers.  Notwithstanding that most under graduates start their university education at nineteen after the now almost obligatory and fashionable ‘gap year’.  Not everybody knows what they eventually want to do career wise aged eighteen.  Forced to decide what they want to do at university is like asking a grade A fourteen year old psychic’s student with an interest in molecules whether they might be interested in helping Iran with their nuclear programme in a few years time.

It is very conceivable that the so called ‘gap year’ has replaced the life changing experience of the standard three years of university life before young adults enter the frenzied world of making a living.  Among ABC1s as the Government still likes to categorise people, the offspring of the upper echelon of society are eschewing university altogether after their gap year.  It is no longer fashionable or necessary to go to university when making a living from making jewellery or launching your new Japanese restaurant is beckoning.  Many of this group however confident are still happy to spend their year ‘bumming’ around Thailand or surfing the waves in Australia rather than focusing their minds on more serious issues.

Generally speaking, it would unfair to adopt the policies of the fun police and stop gap years being fun.  Why doesn’t the Government think ahead of all of those new adults who could vote for them and encourage their career paths instead of insisting on crippling fees to learn about the intricacies of the venn diagram of reality TV?  Maybe there should be further incentives and policies set up by the Government for the future generation to embark on a year of being environmentally and socially sound.  Eighteen year olds will well and truly be able to say that they can have their hash cakes and eat them.  Or should the Government offer the old style grants to those individuals who enrol on what could be packaged and PRed in a much more appealing way as the new one year National Service without battle?

In the UK between 1945 and 1963, two and a half million young men were duty-bound to their time in National Service.  The only escape was failing the medical.  National Service initially required a one year period to be served in the Armed Forces.  However, the dawn of the Cold War and the emergency of men being thrown into combat situations such as Malaya increased the period of service to eighteen months in 1948 and two years with the demands of the Korean War between 1950-1953.  Two years service remained at two years until the last National Serviceman, Second Lieutenant Richard Vaughan of the Royal Army Pay Corps, was demobbed on 16 May 1963.

Todays under graduates could decide to incorporate their new one year National Service to an area of future relevance to their impending careers if they were canny enough.  An individual with a future desire to work for BP or Shell for example, could enrol on a National Service experience for the company both in the UK and abroad on projects researching and producing cleaner fuels.  Visiting the oil refineries, learning the politics of laying down pipes in countries such as Azerbaijan and downing vodka shots in Polish mining towns would surely enhance the strategic mind of a future oil corporation’s employee no end?

Would be teachers could apply to teach English, art or PE to those in the developing world.  Whether your penchant is for climbing in the hilltop village schools of Nepal or teaching in the Ugandan village of Kaliro at the local Bukumankoola Primary School, a network of one year’s non combat National Service would be staged.  Think that you could make it to director of Thames Water one day?  Why not choose your one year service by joining a Ganga Yatra?  Ganga Yatra consists of a journey for saving the Ganges for pollution, diversion and privatisation.  Makes the running of a UK relatively clean Water Company seem simple in comparison.

The not so eco profession of making millions working at a world leading investment bank could very possibly benefit from a pre-stint working for an ethical fund.  Step forward Jupiter’s Socially Responsible Investment Team or the Ecology Building Society.  The ‘in’ gap year of the 1980’s was to work the land based in a Kibbutz.  Why not take that idea one step further and pick grapes at the ever growing number of organic farms both here and abroad.  Or learning to milk and farm herds of organically fed and reared cows for those interested in a prospective job at Waitrose?

Those unfortunates already slapped with an ASBO should be persuaded that there is more to life than hanging out at the mall or zig zagging on the already over crowded roads in their packs.  Shopping malls are the preserve of the bored and the plastic fantastic.  The present deterrent seems to make no difference to these cash hungry hooded adolescents with a limited education.  In fact being in possession of an ASBO is sacrament to a badge of honour.  ASBOs individuals having to spend a year clearing up after natural disaster somewhere in the world would surely be more of a frightening experience than a driving licence sized piece of paper and a 10pm curfew?  One which would, if one believes in hope, challenge the ASBO owner’s thoughts on their haunting existence.  How would they feel after lifting concrete boulders in Pakistan rescuing survivors and deceased from an earthquake?

Once started, it is easy for a myriad of ideas come to mind on how to spend a year putting to the world to rights.  Only this time putting the world to rights would mean a more physical sense rather than over ten pints at the student union.  How to fund the year would be of course the Government’s first question.  Well gap year students are already funded by their parents or earn the money themselves from a stint of weekend and evening work.  The scheme could be run as a company in the vein of the Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) with those working without parents’ handouts earning the going rate of a novice teacher, builder or farmer.  Accommodation could be on an exchange type basis if there are no funds directly coming from parental help.  Government spending on overseas aid and emergency funds could come in the form of human beings physical help as well as monies to the charities directly.

The last point being relatively controversial because the Tsunami appeal being a victim of its own success.  The millions generously donated to the charities exceeded far and beyond the munificence expected.  Resulting in the British Red Cross being in funds for more than they could spend in the Tsunami disaster areas, but unable to legally distribute the monies to Africa for example.  Legally, monies raised have to go to the cause originally stated and not to the charity as a whole.  Perhaps part financial part human worker on a one year gap year or new National Service, whatever to call it would be a possible solution to the earth’s problems.  Not least in immediate help within disaster zones. 

It is no doubt a million miles from a two week stint at a five star spa on Parrot Cay.  Only the difference with Parrot Cay after a month back at home the memories are of the azure waters and relaxation after spending three thousand pounds.  The memories and experience of a year in some of the poorest countries or being part of changing the food chain to a natural one would be an experience that was unforgettable and most likely life long.  National Service whether compulsory or ecologically sound gap year is one that the Government should embrace sooner rather than later to encourage the coming generations’ climatic changing environment.

Non combat – Vive le environmental revolution.