Compulsory military service to decipline youths

By MATTHEW VARI

Wednesday, November 20, 2013 (Midweek Chronicle, PNG)

THE National Government is planning to introduce compulsory military service in the form if a National Youth Service for young school-leavers to receive basic military training.

He made the remarks during his visit last week to the Munihu District in Upper Mendi, Southern Highlands Province, to officiate at the commissioning of the new Alu Kou Limestone Quarry.

The former cadet program was never continued after the caribou crash in 1972 where 21 school cadets were killed when a caribou aircraft returning PNG school cadets from their annual training camp crashed on a flight from Lae to Port Moresby.

“This will help them maintain discipline and avoid getting caught up in illegal activities,” the Prime Minister said.

“Many of our old people will understand services of this sort as it was practiced during the colonial era in the 1960s and 1970s."

“They will also agree that their training from the colonial government educated them to be well disciplined and more respectful,” Mr O’Neill said.

He said such services were successfully implemented in many countries, such as in Israel, where it has worked to their advantage.

O'Neill added that, for the past four decades, previous governments and other stakeholders responsible have not bothered to maintain these vital services, resulting in our youth getting mixed up in all sorts of illegal activities.

The PM also said that next year, the government will pass a law making it compulsory for every school-aged child nationwide to attend school.

With the government already paying for all school fees in the formal education system- this law will make it illegal for parents or guardians from keep school aged children from attending school.

“If children are found to be deprived of their right to formal education, their parents will be held responsible and will be dealt with by the law."

“The government has played its part by implementing ‘free education’ for you, now it is your duty to ensure that you children are properly clothed and equipped to go to school,” Mr O’Neill urged parents.