Employability must be at the heart of schools debate

4th February 2014

Commenting ahead of Education Secretary Michael Gove's speech on the future of state schools today (Monday), Dr Adam Marshall, Executive Director of Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said: -Raising standards in state schools is something businesses across England will cheer.

Ultimately, however, higher standards must translate into higher employability for pupils. Unless students are seen as more prepared for the workplace, ready to be trained and developed by future employers, this government's education reform agenda could suffer the same fate as its predecessors'. -Michael Gove is right to set the bar high for England's state schools. But university admissions alone must not be the measure of success. Alongside strong elite education, we also need to celebrate when schools successfully move students into excellent vocational education, apprenticeships, and the world of work. -For that reason, whoever chairs Ofsted must place employability alongside academic achievement at the heart of the school assessment system.