A clear majority of teachers believe the UK’s school system has become overly focused on exams at the expense of preparing young people for adult life and work, according to a major new survey that has sparked fresh criticism of the country’s educational priorities.
The YouGov poll of 1,004 teachers across the UK found that nearly three-quarters (74%) felt there was too much emphasis on passing examinations. An identical proportion (73%) said there was not enough focus on preparing students for employment or on developing so-called ‘soft skills’.
Furthermore, two-thirds of teachers (66%) reported that pupils’ overall readiness for work had declined over the past five years, with 60% stating that young people’s soft skills had worsened in that time. The survey also revealed overwhelming support for change: 98% backed career advice in all schools, 92% supported more applied or vocational pathways before age 16, and 95% were in favour of alternative routes for pupils struggling with the current system.
‘Brilliant at sorting, poor at equipping’
These findings were seized upon by Alan Milburn, the government’s adviser on youth unemployment, who launched a stinging critique of what he termed an “exam-obsessed” system. The former Labour health secretary, who is leading a government-commissioned review into young people and work, said the survey proved teachers were “right”.
“We have built an education system that is brilliant at sorting young people by academic ability and poor at equipping them for adult life,” Milburn said. “Time and again employers say young people are not work ready.”
He argued that in a fast-changing labour market, schools must prioritise equipping pupils with the attributes they need to succeed. “Communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity,” he listed, outlining the core ‘soft skills’ deficit identified by businesses. Milburn welcomed the government’s stated commitment to stronger work readiness in schools but warned that “ambition must be matched by action at scale.”
The skills employers say are missing
The criticism aligns with longstanding concerns from industry bodies. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has repeatedly called for a framework of essential attributes to sit alongside academic benchmarks, emphasising the need for schools to listen to employers’ perspectives. Make UK, which represents manufacturers, has highlighted to Milburn’s review both the challenge of rising employment costs and an insufficient awareness of vocational routes among school leavers.
This push for a broader set of competencies is now influencing policy. The government’s recent curriculum reforms, announced in November 2025 following Professor Becky Francis’s review, aim to shift the balance. Changes include making citizenship compulsory in primary schools to cover financial and media literacy, introducing a new ‘core enrichment entitlement’ for arts and life skills, and reforming school performance measures to encourage a wider range of GCSE subjects beyond a narrow academic core.
The growing Neet crisis
The debate over the purpose of schooling takes place against a grim statistical backdrop. The number of young people aged 16 to 24 not in employment, education or training (Neet) reached 957,000 in the final quarter of 2025, representing 12.8% of that age group. This figure has been rising since 2021 and is close to its highest level in over a decade.
Digging deeper into the data reveals a complex crisis. A significant 57% of those Neet young people are economically inactive—meaning they are not working and not looking for work—with ill health, particularly mental health, being a major driver. The Health Foundation has urged Milburn’s review to make overcoming these health barriers central to its agenda, noting that around half of all Neet young people have a disability.
The problem is also acutely geographical. Eight of the ten local authorities with the highest number of Neets are in the North and Midlands of England, leading Milburn to argue that mayors need greater powers to tackle youth unemployment locally, as Whitehall alone cannot solve it.
Perhaps the most concerning statistic is one highlighted by Milburn himself: 45% of all 24-year-olds who are Neet have never had a job, a situation he warns will have a “long-term scarring effect” on their lives and the economy.
In response, the government has pointed to its expanded Youth Guarantee, an £820 million investment to provide extra support for 16-24 year-olds, and a post-16 education and skills white paper focusing on training the domestic workforce. Milburn’s own independent review, commissioned in late 2025, is due to publish its final report in July 2026, with an interim report expected this spring.
