National Service Programme

Andrew Layman:  PCB CEO

In a recent SAfm programme the Secretary for Defence was interviewed about the Minister’s plan to introduce a national service programme.   It proved to be controversial and many people phoned in to raise concerns about it.   Their points included fears that it would be used for propagandist purposes, just as occurred in the past.    It was one of the objectives of the programme, apparently, that young people should be taught good citizenship and patriotism.    At a certain level, most would agree that these are virtues and need to be encouraged, but both require interpretation and when that is done by authorities that come with a particular outlook, the results may not acceptable.    Hitler, too, wished the German youth to be encouraged in their citizenship and patriotism.    I am not suggesting that the Minister of Defence’s motive bears any resemblance to Hitler’s, but raised eyebrows are invited, nevertheless, especially since the programme is to be offered within the Defence Force.  

This presented a concern to me, too.   The concept of a national service programme to keep youth occupied and to provide a framework in which they may learn skills and a greater readiness for the workplace is entirely supportable.    The Department’s spokeswoman herself highlighted some of the critical issues, without realising that she had done so.   She denied that the programme was designed to produce soldiers and stressed the objective that it would not be militaristic in any way.   Nor was it conscription.    But, its value would lie in the discipline that would be instilled in the youth because this was the defence force where discipline is a key characteristic.    She was unable to clarify where the funds would come from since, as callers pointed out, the Department of Defence was labouring under a slashed budget and much of its capacity had been eroded.   The infrastructure which, it was claimed, made the Defence Force the ideal context in which to provide the programme, had been allowed to crumble over time and many facilities were now in disuse.    The longer the discussion persisted, the clearer it became that locating this programme in the Department of Defence is inadvisable for a host of reasons.    A call from someone representing the Department of Social Welfare was enlightening.  She gave information about a programme, similar in nature, that was already being run by her department.    Perhaps they should work together, she suggested.   

I think it is highly likely that this programme will not be implemented.  Often when projects are discarded, the essential idea and purpose get discarded as well.    In this case it would be a pity.    Our country needs extra hands.   We have too many idle youth with too few skills and even less hope for productive occupation.   A national service programme could bring these together in a very constructive way.   Its value would not lie directly in enhanced citizenship and patriotism (that there is a perceived need for these to be encouraged in a youth programme is a further indictment of the current value of school education), but in constructive occupation, in the process of which skills would be learnt, discipline promoted and the value of citizenship reinforced.  For employers, this, I expect, would carry a value equal to work experience.     

In order to implement such a programme, a considerable amount of integration would have to be achieved.    It would require a lot of effort on the part of several government departments to put it together and run it successfully.   This requirement alone might be beyond the government’s capacity.   It would also require money, but I think this could be found – our country has found money for a number of less constructive projects, after all.    The NGO community with its existing base of community service could be extremely valuable, if its efforts, too, could be harnessed in a common cause.    

Here’s a thought.   A programme of this nature does not need to be national in scope.   We have unemployed youth in abundance, we have a critical need for things to be done both in the city and the surrounding rural areas, we have a strong NGO base, and we have people with the commitment and skills to make it work.   Can we not do it here?

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