UK School System Criticized for Exam Obsession

0:00On April 20th, Alan Milburn, the former Cabinet Minister, is calling out the UK's school system for being way too obsessed with exams and not enough. With real-world job skills, leading a government review on youth employment, he says it's great at sorting kids by grades but fails to prep them for adult life. A fresh youth poll backs him up, with teachers saying pupils leave without the tools they need. Nearly three-quarters of over 1,000 primary and secondary teachers feel there's too much focus on passing tests. About the same number, say schools aren't doing enough on job prep or soft skills like teamwork and communication. Milburn calls this a wake up for schools and policy makers, stressing that top grades and practical skills can go hand in hand. Teachers are feeling the impact hard, with 6 and 10 reporting that young people's soft skills have gotten worse over the last five years. Two-thirds believe overall work readiness has dropped too. But there's strong support for fixes, like 98% wanting better career advice in every school and most backing vocational paths before.

1:05Age 16. This comes as Milburn's review digs into why more young people are neither in education, employment or training. Commission late last year, the final report drops this summer, looking at health issues, skills gaps and system fixes across education and jobs. In a shifting job market, schools got a step up with employer links and real work experience to build agility and creativity. With nearly a million 16 to 24-year-old sidelined, expect heavy scrutiny of exams keep trumping real outcomes.