I feel that there is an important read across to the topic of cadet gliding. I was fortunate to belong to 3 different Air Cadet Squadrons during my teens. The opportunity for a cadet flying scholarship seemed to fall within a very narrow age window for an individual cadet. Unfortunately, on all three squadrons, I saw that there was a "golden boy" or two that were bound to get that rare, plum internal reccomendation and, often, subsequently, the cadet WO post. In my case, there was no hope from 15 onwards of progressing, unless a certain other cadet had dissapeared.
However, cadet gliding was relatively guaranteed and, importantly, gave almost all cadets who wished to do it the way forward to solo gliding.
This is the huge loss that the ATC seem to have now suffered.
In my case, solo gliding, in cheap simple gliders with volunteer instructors, was a vital start to a nearly 40 yr military pilot career.
Sadly, with the effective loss of cheap cadet gliding, the ATC has been neutered.
OAP