‘Exam-obsessed’ schools leave pupils unready for work, Alan Milburn says | Schools
Alan Milburn said the “exam-obsessed” school system was leaving young people unprepared for work; A new survey shows teachers believe students leave education without the skills they need for adult life.
Milburn, a former cabinet minister under Tony Blair who now heads a government-commissioned review of youth and jobs, said the system was overly focused on academic rankings rather than real-world preparation.
He said: “Teachers are right. We have built an education system that is excellent at sorting young people by academic ability and poor at equipping them for adult life. Employers say over and over again that young people are not ready for work.”
His intervention comes as a YouGov poll of 1,004 primary and secondary school teachers in the UK found that almost three quarters (74%) said there was too much emphasis on passing exams; And 73% said there was not enough focus on preparing students for employment or developing “soft skills.”
Milburn said academic achievement and employability should not be seen as competing priorities, saying the data should serve as a “challenge” for schools and policymakers. “High educational standards and real-world skills are not in competition,” he said.
He also argued that in a rapidly changing labor market, schools must do more to equip young people with “communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity” as well as formal qualifications.
The survey shows teachers largely agree that improvement is needed, with around 73% saying the curriculum could be adapted to offer a wider range of job-focused skills without lowering standards.
There was broad support for providing stronger careers; 98% supported careers advice in all schools, 92% supported more applied or vocational pathways before the age of 16 and 95% supported alternative pathways for students struggling with the current system.
Six in 10 teachers said young people’s social skills have worsened over the past five years, and 66% believe their overall job readiness has declined.
Milburn’s intervention comes at a time when there is greater focus on the transition from education to employment.
In late 2025 the government appointed him to lead an independent review into why a growing number of young people are not in education, employment or training (Neet), with the final report expected this summer.
The review examines the drivers behind the sharp increase in youth inactivity, including the role of health, disability and skills mismatches. It will make recommendations regarding education, welfare and employment systems.
The latest official statistics show that around 1 million people aged 16 to 24 fall into this category; This figure has led to growing concerns among ministers about the long-term economic and social consequences.
Milburn, 68, said the current education model would face increasing scrutiny if it continued to prioritize exam results over long-term outcomes for young people.
He said: “In a rapidly changing job market, schools need to equip young people with the qualities they need to succeed, such as communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity.
“The government’s commitment to stronger study preparation in schools is welcome and the right direction to travel, but this ambition needs to be met with action at scale.”
Milburn argued that schools could go further in strengthening ties with employers and expanding access to meaningful work experience, while closer interaction with the labor market would be critical to improving outcomes.
He said: “In an environment where nearly a million 16 to 24-year-olds are not in work, education or training, a system where decisions are made based on exam results rather than student places will rightly be scrutinized by my review.”
