Education to Employment

A key aspect of society is employment and wealth creation. Simply stated: Record youth unemployment does not suggest more able young people. It shows a system that does not prepare Children for employment. They lack skills even though they have the GCSEs and BTECs and A levels and more. The abilities to use computers rather than complaining that social media and videos are slow online (probably not work related!). IT departments spend a lot of their time dealing with operator created problems, like forgotten passwords and unauthorised downloads. Skills in communication and number skills are often lacking, repeating methods that they got away with in schools and at home, that do not work professionally. Schools contribute little to entrepreneurial activities as that environment is the opposite of the teachers experience. Obviously a key issue is behaviour and attitude, many young people have problems with not just time keeping but also attendance. There is little understanding of how to get things done on a job level let alone on a business level.

Most of education is not like a professional environment such as the professions, or factory settings. Non academic environments are unfamiliar to most of the staff in education. In fact they know little of how other schools operate let alone other industries. It is equal to most adults understanding of teaching (all those holidays! : A lot of teachers are in schools over the holidays, work at home and of course the colds and illness catch up with them in the school holidays).

Wasting time on work they will not succeed at. Spending time on subjects that students do not have any aptitude or interest in cannot work without fear of punishment. Getting things done you do not like is part of life, but getting disconnected children sometimes to the whole of education and more, to 'do their work' is flogging a dead horse. I have been assigned science that was academic to teach to a bottom set. The students had little academic proficiency, insufficient prior knowledge and many issues with behavior. A total waste of time and energy. Children stood on the half way line in freezing temperatures in a football session was/is common. Prescription of inappropriate tasks for the teacher is common.

Awareness of strengths and weaknesses, possible and impossible is not the norm. False facts and beliefs are common and the teachers (adults) are not respected. Throughout society these are perpetuated and children are defenseless against them. I had one child who was telling his class mates that the infra-red on Police helicopters could not see during the day. I tried to explain but to no avail. I will not mention the institution he was already in, and quite possibly going to visit many times in his life (which is not costly at all!). The de-education by peer groups, media and the internet, is much more powerful than education.

Children need proof of relevance and usefulness. Ironically my sales training of many years ago talked of features and benefits. Similar aspects need to be included in education. Stating what is needed and why. Respect and trust need be gained (earned). Education faces many distractions and must compete (and helped to compete, given a level playing field, if it has not been sold off of course). It has to be more effective for the real world.

Connections between education and the rest of the world need to be made. Apprenticeships were not replaced with anything work related, and highly academic students were not served after GCSEs began. Practicing un-productivity and anti social behaviour needs to be minimised. Hiding in large groups and preventing others from learning must be reduced.

This needs to be gradual from simpler learning for younger children and latter more work focused learning for later education. That is hide learning in play first but work towards the real life later in the school/college years.