We need our children to leave school ready for life in the real world

There has never been a bigger mismatch between our education system and what young people need to thrive in the modern world.

- David Blunkett

The hoops we expect young people to jump through are from a bygone era and put the emphasis on narrow academic prowess, which is not the same as understanding. They are designed for only one goal: further academic study post-16 and beyond. Everything about the syllabus, exams and how schools are judged is geared to this outcome.

Assessing quality of teaching and upholding standards are critical, but how these are achieved determines the content of what we teach and how we teach it. A record number of young people are not in education, employment or training. A growing number of parents are dissatisfied with how schools prepare their children for life. The university system is under existential pressure. Employers complain about the lack of people coming into the workforce with the required skills and mindset.