that we know what these should be - but with helping them to make decisions wisely.
Perhaps the most important strength of the parent's role in careers guidance is its continuity. Research in recent
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years on the ways young people make their career decisions has emphasised the length of time over which the decisions are formed, and the long period during which they are basically exploring the working world and their views of
themselves - initially in a fantasy way, then tentatively, then more realistically. It is important not to put pressure on young people to make firm career choices prematurely; it is equally important not to regard this as an excuse for protecting them from opportunities to explore career possibilities and to test them out for themselves. If parents can patiently and dependably, provide their children with the security and support to undertake this kind of exploration, and to reflect upon it, they will have met their own parental responsibilities and have helped their children to grow towards adulthood.
Schools and parents
In principle, co-operation between schools and parents in careers guidance is likely to be more effective than guidance offered by either in isolation. Their respective strengths can complement each other: sharing their understanding of the
abilities, interests and personality of the young person
in domestic and more public situations respectively, gives each party a more complete picture than either has access to on its own. Similarly, the richer first-hand experience which parents have in their own field of work can complement the broader but more superficial knowledge which careers teachers should have of the world of work as a whole. Contact and communication between parents and school is therefore immensely valuable. It is again important, however, that it should respect the young person's own views and rights and is not felt to be building an unholy alliance against him or her.
Beyond this, schools can also make use of parents in other ways. Parents represent a huge resource of experience and expertise. Picture the typical staff common-room, and consider the limited occupational experience it usually
contains. Then contrast it with the breadth and depth of experience present in a meeting of parents (at Speech Day, for example). In most schools this experience will cover a vast range of occupations; at the same time, there is usually - because of the parents' own commitment to the school - a readiness to make it available to others. Perhaps one of the most effective steps a careers teacher can make is to seek to harness this experience and to make it accessible to all the school's pupils.
Examples of this are already well established in a number of schools. Some, for example, contact all parents periodically to find out in what ways they would be willing to help in the school's careers programme. Would they be willing to take part in careers conventions or symposia? to talk to individual pupils interested in their area of work? to arrange opportunities for `shadowing' for them? to arrange work experience? One particularly interesting scheme in an ISCO school (reported in the ISCO Careers Bulletin, Autumn 1980, pp.55-56) involved pupils making a two-day individual visit to the work-place of a parent working in their field of interest, and staying overnight in the parent's home: this provided an opportunity not only to see the work itself but also to observe and discuss its effect on the parent's life as a whole.
Career choices are among the most important all of us make in our lives. They determine not only how we spend most of our time but also - in important respects - our whole way of life. The range of possibilities is ever greater
and more complex; the anxiety attached to the choices, in a troubled economy, is great. Schools have properly become more and more involved in careers guidance, and while their provision still often leaves much to be desired, it has improved considerably in recent, years. It is essential that this is not experienced as undermining the proper role of parents, but rather as complementing and strengthening it.
Combined Cadet Force (COTTON COLLEGE CCF RAF SECTION)
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Whereas 1984-5 has seen the Contingent firmly established in its 3rd year with procedures laid and traditions set, with many of the original noble aims and objectives actually materialising, like an age-old adage: the more that is done the more there appears necessary to do. However, this gives us our target for 1985-6. If our past is to stand for anything, it is to create those circumstances in which cadets are directly able to participate. Underneath all of those noble CCF aims runs one essential idea: that a cadet will derive maximum benefit by direct involvement. The coming year will see cadets playing a more central role in the running of the Contingent.
This, however, is not just a report on a hopeful future. Experienced and involved cadets are the product of a busy past. During this year we have aimed to give those cadets
willing to take full advantage a broad and varied experience of CCF life.
In September, 1984, it was decided to include CCF activities in the School life of all Third-formers. Ideally this gives our pupils a minimum of two years' CCF experience though the benefits increase with as many cadets as possible remaining in their 5th and possibly 6th forms. Indeed it is vital that the most mature and informed cadets share their expertise with the newcomers. During this year
the Contingent has numbered a healthy 52 cadets including our first two girls (it is hoped that our girls will soon be kitted with the more becoming uniform skirts!)
In the autumn term two field days were held: half the Contingent visited RAF Finningley (our affiliated station) and the other half RAF Cosford (our parent station). Following another successful course of instruction on weapons safe-handling (part of Proficiency 1 training) given by 33 Cadet Training Team, all cadets enjoyed a most instructive field day during the Easter term on the weapons range at Whittington Barracks, Lichfield. We were fortunate to shoot all types of weapons from the 303 rifle to
hand-guns to automatics. The day finished with an interflight race around the assault course. Our thanks, as always,
to Captain Wytcher and his 33 CTT. Their involvement with Cotton, however, went further, for during the same term they gave a crash-course in battlecraft techniques and Lower fields became the scene for cadets in 'DPM cammy gear' crawling through the mud amidst thunder-flashes and coloured smoke.
This was in fact the third of a series of fieldcraft activities at Cotton, with the previous two taking the form of night exercises. Our cadets were not involved, but the CTT used the excellent training facilities of the Cotton landscape both with the TA Potential-Officer-Cadet Training and with Cheadle Army Cadet Force.
Other events of the year included a presentation given by a pilot and a navigator from RAF Leuchars on the role
