EDUCATION isn't just limited to being in the classroom from the ages of four to 18.

Or even to pre-school nursery or higher education there are opportunities throughout life.

Last week, I had the chance to meet those who help with education within a chosen career.

On a visit to the Adjutant Generals Corps one of the Army's biggest corps - I found out what was on offer for soldiers at all levels.

The corps is comprised of four main services and one of these is the Education and Training Services (ETS).

It's an all-officer, all-graduate branch and is concerned with the teaching of soldiers, promotion courses for squaddies and officers alike, and many other different educational opportunities.

It was refreshing to know that even if a 16-year-old joins the Army with poor qualifications and problems with dyslexia, there is the chance to get help.

The ETS works within all the regiments to help these soldiers.

Officers can be posted across the world to carry out their duties. The thought of being posted to Brunei with the Gurkhas is most appealing, as is working in the field in Kosovo, Germany and even the Falklands.

The Government's idea of lifelong learning could be based on the ETS's work.

Squaddies who joined as boy soldiers and progressed through to Sergeants have the opportunity to gain promotion as Warrant Officers.

The courses are by no means easy. Having sat in one of their presentations this was plainly obvious.

One group of Sergeants spoke for 20 minutes on Depleted Uranium (DU) and its implications in the military as part of their Army and Defence Studies.

I have to say it made a nice change from the usual presentations you get to see and hear in the classroom. For a start, here were grown men making an effort to increase their chances of promotion.

It made a pleasant change for the teachers on the unit visit at Warminster.

Instead of teaching a bunch of 11-year-olds or giving key skills lessons to students who turn up intermittently, here were attentive students.

The ETS is also responsible for helping with soldiers who have a problem with their own child's education, the running of service schools, as well as language training.

But life as a teacher in the Army isn't all plain sailing.

To get there in the first place you have to have reached a high level of education yourself and be committed to teaching others.

There are also the usual Army officer selection procedures.

A run, an assault course, leaderless tasks, individual and team presentations, interviews, aptitude tests and problem-solving are also required.

As if being a teacher isn't hard enough, here are higher standards to attain to.

This makes the league tables look like a piece of cake when you think that the future of the nation's military can depend on how you perform in the Army Education Centre's classrooms.