Tories back soldier-teachers proposal

A thinktank's proposal to retrain retiring servicemen and women as teachers for Britain's inner-city schools has received enthusiastic backing from the Conservatives.

Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove described the suggestion, contained in a report written for the Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) thinktank, as an "excellent idea".

The CPS suggests the UK adopts a version of the US' troops to teachers (T3) scheme, which has seen over 16,000 retrain as teachers in the US.

This would have a "profound effect" on Britain's most deprived schools, the report's author Tom Buckard says, by boosting discipline and tackling unruly behaviour and demonstrating an attractive career path.

According to the report many retired service personnel are already looking for ways into education. It says the Skill Force charity has four times the number of suitable applicants for positions than it requires.

Mr Gove said he believed providing assistance for soldiers to retrain as teachers would be "great for our schools".

"Many British schools need a change of culture because they face real problems with violence and bad behaviour," he commented.

"Children, particularly in the worst schools, desperately need order and role models for self-discipline."

His comments echo those of CPS director Jill Kirby, who said: "Today, too many children are held back by the failure of schools to impose good discipline and create calm and purposeful classrooms."

The Department for Children, Schools and Families would not comment on the report, a spokesperson said.

Around 16,000 retiring servicemen and women have retrained as teachers since 1994, according to the report.