COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Military Recruiting: Student Privacy
Tough times for recruiters?
Gordon Y.K. Pang, Honolulu Advisor
December 15, 2006
The American Friends Service Committee and a public school official saythey expect to see an increase this year in the number of requests for
student contact information to be withheld from military recruiters.
That's because secondary-school students were given additional notice this
year clarifying that they can indeed ask to "opt out" of having that
information distributed to military recruiters on their own, without
permission from their parents.
Today is the deadline for parents, guardians and students to make such a
request.
Greg Knudsen, a Department of Education spokesman, said a parent, guardian
or student can submit by today either a pre-printed DOE form or their own
legible letter requesting that the information be withheld from recruiters.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires the state Department
of Education to submit students' personal contact information to military
recruiters who request it or risk losing federal dollars — unless parents
or students choose to have that information withheld.
The American Friends Service Committee — which describes itself as a social
justice and peace organization — has raised objection to the inclusion of
the provision in the act. The issue is one of "informed consent," said Kyle
Kajihiro, Hawai'i program director for the organization.
"The fact that they were able to slip this provision into the No Child Left
Behind Act is really problematic, " he said.
"We don't think the schools should be used as a recruiting ground for the
military," Kajihiro said. "We feel every effort should be made to ensure
that students and their families are able to take steps to protect their
personal information. "
Knudsen said the original deadline to submit an opt-out request in
mid-September was extended because the DOE sent out a clarified form in
October stating students could initiate an opt-out request.
The school system allows parents or guardians to request that student
information be withheld from a variety of solicitors. In addition, students
may ask on their own that their information be withheld from military
recruiters.
The DOE could not immediately provide statistics on how many students
submit military-recruiting opt-out requests annually.
Knudsen and Kajihiro said they expect the numbers to increase because of
the law clarifying that students can opt out on their own.
"This whole effort to specifically and directly notify every
secondary-school student is likely to greatly increase that amount,"
Knudsen said. "I think we probably have one of the more direct and
comprehensive notification to all secondary students allowing them the
option to initiate the opt-out request."
Kajihiro said American Friends is pleased with the clarified form and he
predicted that many students would act on their own to initiate an opt-out
request. "I would expect that."
Chuck Anthony, spokesman for the state Department of Defense, said that
while he can't speak for national recruiting offices, Hawai'i National
Guard recruiters "are not interested in talking to anybody other than those
who are 18."
Besides mailers, he said, National Guard recruiters could also contact a
student who is 18 "either by mail or telephone, or even ... an e-mail." But
typically, Anthony said, telephone or e-mail contact is only done if there
is a referral or a student has expressed an interest.
American Friends further wants the DOE to allow for opt-out requests to be
maintained beyond one school year so that parents and students won't have
to fill out a separate request each year, Kajihiro said.
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