Marks / Grades: School / GED or PLAR [MERGED]

[ammocat]

I am not sure what the minimum requirement is now days for joining (and I haven't looked). I did not have high school when I joined and I have not had any problems. I did receive my GED several years after I joined (recommended and supported by my CoC). The only way it may affect you is if you decide to commission from the ranks later in your career.

 

[MikeL]

I believe you need grade 10 with so many credits to enlist. However some trades require more than that.


Even if you want a trade that only requires the min education I highly recommend getting your High School/GED. It will be beneficial for you. Either get it now, or if you want to blow it off for now atleast get it sometime in the near future.

 

[mainse-event]

Thankyou, i have decided i will join infantry as a NCM and continue my high school through the independent learning centre.

 

[Niteshade]

I also recommend getting your highschool education. It's just plain good to have.

from http://www.forces.ca/html/directentry_en.aspx

If you have at least a grade 10 education and prefer to join the Canadian Forces directly rather than take advantage of our subsidized technical college or university education plans, we will provide you with recruit training and all the necessary training to become a technician or an operator in the Army, the Navy or the Air Force. You will of course enjoy a competitive salary from day 1 as well as many other benefits.

Good luck!

Nites

 

[Jarnhamar]

I have my grade 11 and dropped out of high school because nothing I was learning was relevant to what I wanted to do in life.

Math
English
Geography
History
Written and verbal communications.
Home-ed or whatever it's called where you learn to cook and sew
Chemistry
Science
Physics.

Apparently you weren't taking ANY of these courses because these are all vital to being a soldier. What the heck WERE you taking??

Dropping out of high school was a HUGE mistake (and dumb, deal with it).
Joining the military is great but use the military to get your highschool diploma. THEN get a college diploma.

In the army, like highschool, you will be taught things that *you* don't think are important. Just listen and learn anyways and a few years down the road you'll thank yourself.

 

[mainse-event]

Still looking for a direct answer to my question, thank you in advance.

 

[Michael OLeary]

I have my grade 11 and dropped out of high school because nothing I was learning was relevant to what I wanted to do in life. What I am wondering is, if I join the army will my career be forever be hindered by the fact that I don't have this little piece of paper?

That depends.  What, exactly, are your goals for a career in the Canadian Forces?

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

Hello mainse-event. First off congrats on your choice to join the CF, but I have to ask you a serious question. What if you don't make the cut? What if you wash out of BMQ etc? You should have your education to fall back on in case you need to rethink your career options.

 

[armyvern]

I have my grade 11 and dropped out of high school because nothing I was learning was relevant to what I wanted to do in life. What I am wondering is, if I join the army will my career be forever be hindered by the fact that I don't have this little piece of paper? The army is what I want to do with my life, and I am VERY serious about serving my country and being all I can be, its just a weight on my mind that I might not be able to achieve my full potential as a NCM all because I stupidly left high school. Going back is not an option for me, I am enlisting in the spring. Any thoughts or words of comfort would be appreciated.

If there is a lesson to be learned in your statement for kids out there today ... it's stay in school and get that High School diploma.

I say this only because you stated that you dropped out of school because nothing you were learning was relevant to what you wanted to do in life; but, that what you want to do in life is join the Army ... and now your wondering if education is relevant to that.

I've had a few troops who didn't have High School: some did/are doing well. I recommend to them that they take advantage of GED opportunities that present (through the MFRC etc), and that they 'upgrade' even if only as a self-confidence booster. At least one of them is actually doing extremely well. It all depends upon the effort that you're willing to put into it and choosing a trade (which you qualify for) that really interests you. You can do almost anything that you set your mind to. there's a few examples of those individuals here on the site who may/may not chime in with much more sage advice and thoughts than I can offer you.

Vern

 

[greentoblue]

Similiar to what Michael said, the answer is "Yes", "No" and "maybe".  The Canadian military is a continuous learning institution and we have been way before "life-long learning" became fashionable.  Courses - either being a student on one or teaching on one - as well as tours and exercises, dominate our lives.

Right off the bat you are hindering your potential career because you have not even applied yet.  When applicants apply for any military trade they get merit listed against the number of vacancies that may be open or opening.  This list is NOT first come, first served so even if you apply ahead of someone else, that other person could be listed higher than you and get a conditional offer.  Obviously one of the factors for merit listing is high school completion.  And right now some combat arms trades such as infantry have a waiting list for enrollment.  In other words you being successfully enrolled into the military is not a guarantee and already shows a gap in your critical thinking skills if you quit high school in the belief that you will be entering military service.

Another fact is that experiences from the Cdn, US and British militaries is that recruits who have high school diplomas or equivalencies absorb training better and are less likely to become administrative burdens.  This is one of the reasons why any recruiter and all the people who have responded to your post so far have urged you to return to school and complete high school.  Throughout a military career a soldier is put through multiple training courses involving a lot of study, attention to detail and not a lot of time to do it.  In reg force basic training alone a recruit must learn military law, administration, the law of armed combat and first aid on top of basic soldier skills like physical training, weapons handling and dress and deportment. 

Now assuming you are successful in entering the forces, your career progression is trade dependent.  For example completion of all your required basic, trades and speciality courses as well as performance in caring out your duties is what concerns your chain of command.  However, if you failed to absorb the basic knowledge taught in high school that can show in your performance and hinder your career.  I have seen soldiers fail courses such as mortars, signals and recce because they did not have the basic math skills to master the materiel.  I've also seen excellent soldiers receive relatively low potential for promotion scores because their literacy was poor and it affected their ability to teach courses.

Another fact to consider is that most soldiers who stay in the military for a 20-25 year career do not stay combat arms.  When they decide to stay in the military but look for another trade it is similiar to joining up because they are merit listed for positions.  Once again, that lack of a high school diploma places you at a disadvantage compared to others seeking the same trade.

In short, go get that diploma.  Its worth it in the end.

 

[mainse-event]

Thanks everybody, this has cleared up alot of questions I had. I will continue with my home schooling when i join the army. To clear something up, I didn't dropout because of my inability to learn, I dropped out because I wasn't challenged at all and I felt I was wasting my time on something that could be done at any point of my life.

 

[Jarnhamar]

What courses were you taking in school. Were they Basic. general, advanced?

 

[Journeyman]

I will continue with my home schooling when i join the army.

I think you may still be missing part of the equation.

As noted in several other threads, your career choice (Combat Arms) is closed to new recruits until at least April.
    +
To get in whenever it does re-open you need to be competitive, which means more than meeting the bottom end of the recruiting standard.
    +
To be more marketable to the recruiters, you should have completed, or be in the process of completing, high school.
    +
If your trade of choice opens April 1st, and if your recruiting process fits you in with the growing backlog of applicants, and if you're fortunate enough to make the cut, you will still not be departing for Recruit School on April 2nd
    =
Go back to school now.
If a local school cannot fit you in starting with the January term, find a distance-learning/night school option. Use this time you have effectively.

 

[mainse-event]

I think you may still be missing part of the equation.

As noted in several other threads, your career choice (Combat Arms) is closed to new recruits until at least April.
    +
To get in whenever it does re-open you need to be competitive, which means more than meeting the bottom end of the recruiting standard.
    +
To be more marketable to the recruiters, you should have completed, or be in the process of completing, high school.
    +
If your trade of choice opens April 1st, and if your recruiting process fits you in with the growing backlog of applicants, and if you're fortunate enough to make the cut, you will still not be departing for Recruit School on April 2nd
    =
Go back to school now.
If a local school cannot fit you in starting with the January term, find a distance-learning/night school option. Use this time you have effectively.

That's what I said. CONTINUE, my home school. I am currently doing 12u english. Continue.

 

[mainse-event]

What courses were you taking in school. Were they Basic. general, advanced?

They were mostly college level, some university(english, history). They weren't challenging at all, but I also thought that most university level classes were going to be to hard for me, like the sciences and maths. I'm in that in between level and it sucks.

 

[dangerboy]

But you also  "I will continue with my home schooling when i join the army. " So that sounds like you are not going to finish your education until you join the army, hence our confusion and why people are telling you to stay in school.

 

[Journeyman]

Actually, you said:

I will continue with my home schooling when i join the army.

"When" being a preposition, which joins "continue" with the clause (in this case temporal), "join the army."

You see, I also joined without having finished highschool. But since then, I've acquired sufficient education and life experience that my attitude is somewhat justified.

 

[MSEng314]

They were mostly college level, some university(english, history). They weren't challenging at all, but I also thought that most university level classes were going to be to hard for me, like the sciences and maths. I'm in that in between level and it sucks.

If you are not going to do them because you think they are "too hard," you will be in for a big surprise when (if) you get on BMQ.

The things that are hard are usually the ones most worth doing.

 

[1feral1]

I have my grade 11 and dropped out of high school because nothing I was learning was relevant to what I wanted to do in life.

I hated school as much as any young guy did, I stuck it out, got my grade 12 (Class of 77)and moved on in life with a graduation certificate I haev used many times on various job applications with NSW Police and NSW Corrections (both of which I was offered employment but declined), and even my application for citizenship here, so don't think you're ever not going to need the basics.

To sum up, go back to school, if not, years later from now you'll wish you would have. There is nothing wrong with getting the minimal requirement for basic credits for grade 12.

Unless you love mininum wage, want to be a mall cop, flip burgers or be a menial labourer, if you don't take to Army life (it is not for everyone), you're buggered.

So take some advice from an old soldier, stay in school. Get an education.

OWDU

 

[Jarnhamar]

I've met a few soldiers who have gotten off work up training to deploy overseas (for various reasons) because they
-Didn't feel the work up training was challenging enough
-Weren't given the respect they deserved as a warrior
-felt they were under employed
-Should have been given more critical jobs/tasks
-Felt their skills were wasted.

Mainse, if you've felt that your college and university level classes were too easy that you're either
-too smart or;
-full of shit.

Either way. Even if you think certain checks in the box, like say high school diplomas are below you- others won't think that way.

Not having a highschool diploma won't restrict you from joining the infantry but it WILL throw you a curve ball when you attempt to get any kind of employment outside the military.
One a side note, not many dudes join the infantry and 17 and stick with it until 55. Give it some though.
Another thing to ponder.. 9 times out of 10 when someone is homeschooled and joins the military you can pick them out in a crowd.