Commenting on Alan Milburn’s interim report of his Review of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), which now tops one million, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“The NEU welcomes this Review, its focus on the growing number of NEETs and the questions it prompts about national policies.
“Alan Milburn is right to highlight that England’s education system is exam-obsessed and that the narrow, packed curriculum disengages many young people. Our over-reliance on exams does not support young people to develop the skills necessary for work and life and de-motivates a large cohort.
“In the one-size fits all approach that is unique to England's education system, all students miss opportunities. Even those who have mastered exam technique do not hone broader skills which the OECD, many researchers and now this Review have highlighted will be needed - such as collaboration, communication and problem solving.
“The impact of the Exam Factory culture is not felt equally. It is stark that Black and disadvantaged students and students with SEND are over-represented as NEETs. The outdated curriculum and assessment system contributes to this. Students do not all demonstrate their talent, interests and achievements in any one uniform way which is why a mix of assessment methods is needed.
“An exclusively exam-focused assessment system – no matter how supposedly reliable it is perceived to be – needs urgent review if the outcomes do not support young people in the real world. Assessment methods in England must be broadened and modernised to support young people to develop the knowledge and skills more relevant to the world they enter and their adult lives.”