The Government is working on plans to open a second “war school” in the south of England, The i Paper can reveal, as part of efforts to tackle youth unemployment and bolster military recruitment.
The UK is the only European country to routinely allow 16-year-olds to join the Army, although they can’t be deployed until they turn 18. They also have no obligation to join the military after studying at the school, and their admission requires parental consent.
The school in southern England would act as a companion to Harrogate Army Foundation College (AFC), in North Yorkshire, which is routinely oversubscribed.
Shorts
Around 1,700 students join AFC Harrogate each year, with many relocating hundreds of miles to do so. A second school could double the number of youngsters able to join at 16 and allow them to live closer to home.
