Tories propose citizen service for 16-year-olds

Conservative MP David Cameron, campaigning for his party’s general election effort, has put forward a citizen service scheme under which 16 year olds would be encouraged to take up voluntary work in their areas and getting involved in community work or all sorts of outdoor activity. Some see this as a reaction to the Labour Party’s Youth Community Action scheme, an initiative that kicked off last month, seeing teens between 14 and 16 years of age similarly encouraged to get together and take up voluntary work in their home communities.

Mr Cameron’s plan aims to “mix young people from different backgrounds, ethnicities and religions”, in a way that the Tory MP says isn’t happening at the moment. Social responsibilty and serving one’s communities are other domensions which the political leader thinks the plan will shape in the young participants.