Two-thirds of voters do not agree that the education system gives young people the skills they need for work, according to a poll.
A YouGov survey for the Times Education Commission – a group of MPs, academics and headteachers that aim to inform government policy on education – found that only 20% believe school prepares pupils for the workplace.
More than seven in 10 said the education system puts too little emphasis on preparing young people for work, 84% said it did not focus enough on life skills and 55% said schools did not do enough to look after pupils’ mental health.
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Just 19% said the school system currently caters well for the needs of the British economy. Only one per cent agreed that it catered for this “very well”.
The major political parties are expected to publish their election manifestos this week. The Conservatives have already pledged to replace A-levels and T-levels with a new qualification, the Advanced British Standard, while Labour has promised a review of the curriculum and education system, and the recruitment of 6,500 more teachers.
The results chimed with a survey of 1,200 business leaders by PwC, reported by The Times, which found 53% rank skills, education and talent as the most important drivers of growth in their sector.
One in three said investment in education and skills would allow them to increase their workforces, with a quarter stating the size of their workforce would be able to grow by over 10%.
PwC chairman Kevin Ellis said: “The world is changing so fast. If you think about the disruption that’s going on, the education system was not built for technology, let alone AI, so you’ve got to make it more engaging, more about soft skills, more lifelong learning.”
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