This is an important article from Mary Riddell in the Telegraph. Check it out!
via Britain is educating its children for jobs that soon won’t exist – Telegraph.
Whilst I agree with the overall argument about the weakness of Britain’s education, I tend to disagree with the main thrust of the argument from Mary Riddell.
I have never particularly liked Mary Riddell’s style of journalism. It always seems to be light on hard evidence and full of assumptions. For me, I also find her style rather disjointed too. I suppose I imagine her with headline and conclusion before anything else.
Riddell seems to be looking to the Labour Party as possible champions of radical reform of UK education. But surely Labour will not stand up to the Teachers’ Unions?
Sadly, Riddell is missing the overall point, a fundamental independent strategic review is required. It’s necessary to take full account of the context, focusing on both the demand and supply challenges for UK education.
Let me put the matter differently as an open question:
What will millennials and parents of millennials or younger children conclude from Mary Riddells argument and conclusions?
Any thoughts?
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Dr Alf's Blog 
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Dr Alf is right about Mary Riddell, who like many people, completely misses the point on UK eduction.
The UK state education system is 44th in the world and 29th for numeracy and literacy.
It fails to impart life-skills, a work ethic, personal discipline or the ability to communicate and in the Fens and deprived areas it turns out blockheads who are unemployable full stop.
The jobs market of the future is global and requires language skills which in the UK are barely taught.
Secondly, with augmented reality, 3D printing, robotics, cybernetics, AI and other developments there will not be enough jobs even if the education system is improved.
We need 3% gdp growth for full employment, yet already there are 50 people chasing or not chasing every vacancy.
The next generation of these technologies will take that figure to 100 and beyond which means we need to completely rethink work, education and who gets what.
Teachers, politicians, editorial writers, the public and politicians are “all behind the 8 ball” because they propagate the myth that if only people gained more skills they could all get jobs.
The myth will become more threadbare until the population are ready for an adult debate.