High school education changes with time, but electives have been a mainstay for several decades. Elective classes allow students to explore other disciplines beyond their core curriculum. This is a great opportunity to expose students to different ideas, skills, and paths while maintaining a balanced education. The JROTC Program has been a clear example of such classes, even though the program itself outdates electives. But now, reports are showing that students are being forced into these JROTC Programs against their will, a situation the Pentagon says shouldn’t be happening. Read next:Army Gender Identity and Gender Expression Training Made Mandatory

What Is the JROTC Program?

The JROTC Program is taught by Veterans and helps hone military drills, physical activities, and more into an educational experience that can give high school students a taste of life in the military. Known as the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC), the program provides high schoolers with the chance to learn about the U.S. military. This includes developing military skills, learning its history, building character, and focusing on service to one’s community. Overall, this can be a great opportunity for networking with Veterans and learning more about the military. JROTC can also help you achieve a higher rank when entering the service.

How Many JROTC Programs Are There?

There are around 3,500 high schools offering JROTC Programs throughout the United States representing various branches of the U.S. military. The U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force all have JROTC Programs in place for high schoolers to enroll in.

Is JROTC Mandatory?

No, Junior ROTC is not supposed to be a mandatory class, hence the designation as an elective class. Overall, the Pentagon believes that the program is a great way to introduce military life to students while teaching teamwork and service. However, it denies that the class is a recruiting tool.

A Pipeline of Students Without a Way Out

As reported by The New York Times, despite the Pentagon claiming that JROTC isn’t supposed to be a mandatory class, thousands of students are being put into these classes with no way out. Many students wish to leave or avoid what they believed to be an elective and are not allowed to transfer. This is a problem that's affecting students, specifically affecting marginalized students. Andreya Thomas, an incoming freshman at Pershing High School in Detroit, was one of many students to realize that their schedule included JROTC. Several students tried to drop the JROTC Program and were met with resistance. “They told us it was mandatory,” said Thomas. This would be only part of the story, however. It would seem that hundreds of public records show dozens of schools making it a mandatory class. Making matters worse, a majority of those students were nonwhite students from less affluent homes.

How Does This Affect Waning Recruitment Efforts?

The U.S. Army is struggling to recruit Soldiers, as most of Gen Z is ineligible to serve due to factors like obesity, drug use, and tattoos. But this is anything but a new trend. So how do these experiences factor in? There have been generational differences that are also making the military an off-putting prospect for Gen Z. With that under consideration, placing kids into classes against their will could be opening up new problems for the military altogether.

The Pentagon Wants to Expand Its JROTC Program

Thousands of youths are compelled to join the military’s Junior ROTC, and yet, while the Pentagon is denying the use of the classes to recruit students, it wants to expand it. The JROTC Program already has a budget of $400 million per year. Looking at everything going on, this developing theme isn’t the best look for anyone. Not the schools, not the Pentagon, and not the individual military branches already trying their hardest to find volunteers. The JROTC Program might be a great way to produce interest in tomorrow’s troops, but this may be the worst way to go about it. Suggested read:5 of the Best Sources for Military Training for Civilians

Image: Getty Images