Consider feedback from parents not trainees

June 26, 2006


I refer to your front page report “NS trainees keen to handle M16 rifles” (Star.June 26).
It was indeed shocking revelation that the government is proceeding to go ahead with arms training for the NS trainees using live ammunition despite acknowledging that most parents are not in favour of it .

Equally distressing is the fact that it will be up to the trainees to choose whether they want to go through with the practical part of firearms training where they will get the chance to shoot with live bullets. It is ridiculous and dangerous trend to introduce firearms training just because these youngsters want that, instead parents should be given a choice to decide not their under aged children.

Two years into the National Service (NS) programme, five deaths had occurred in different training camps throughout the country. Two of the trainees succumbed to some bizarre illness, two drowned and one beaten to death. Apart from these there have been many lesser untoward incidents. No amount of reassurances on the safety of the trainees will satisfy the parents especially now with the handling of live ammunition

In fact many rights groups have cast doubts on the quality of the trainers, saying that they may not be professional or capable enough to carry out their NS duties..
The government should seriously address these inadequacies. It should consider the feedback from parents and public seriously, not those of the trainees who are just 17 years old. .
I
t is important to stress the original aims of the NS is the integration of the youth of various races. I am skeptical that a three-month stint for school leavers after eleven years of segregation in schools would ever achieve this aim. On the contrary we had witnessed all forms ugly incidents in our NS camps since its inception.

The need for the NS as it is implemented now should be reviewed. Instead we should channel all our energy and resources to actively promote and inculcate ethnic and religious integration in our national schools. If we succeed in promoting this in schools, there would never be a need for the controversial and hazardous national service for our school leavers.

Dr.Chris Anthony