NEET and tidy?

This week, the Department of Work and Pensions commissioned the Right Honourable Alan Milburn (pictured) to research why almost a million 16-24 year olds are Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) in the country. 

This must be a turning point. It is an opportunity on two fronts. 

Firstly, there is no incentive for schools to prepare young people for the world of work, fostering the skills and attitudes modern workplaces require. This is due to schools being forced to compete against each other in league tables. Less able pupils struggling with core subjects are withdrawn from the wider curriculum to concentrate purely on Maths and English in order to boost the number of Maths and English passes the school achieves, with complete disregard for their well-being. The DfE needs to end competition, to allow schools to focus on preparing pupils for work and for life. 

Secondly, the curriculum needs a complete overhaul, not just tinkering around the edges. The government should commission academics and educators to produce an engaging, fit-for-purpose curriculum, promoting transferable skills. The Early Years curriculum springs to mind, with its focus on the unique child, positive relationships, enabling environments and learning and development. Should these not continue through a child’s education? 

High-stakes assessment at 16, which is outdated given that education continues till at least 18, needs to cease. Many of the young people who fail in the outdated curriculum that is followed today are potentially those with the entrepreneurial prowess and problem-solving skills that businesses need. The system is squandering potential, whereby those Not in Education Employment or Training are relying on benefits or, in some cases, using their skills on illegal money-making schemes.   Neither of these benefit the individual or society.