Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the best answer to each of the following questions from 28 to 35.
Exam-Obsessed Schools Leave Youth Unprepared for Work
An “exam-obsessed” school system is leaving young people fundamentally unprepared for the workforce, according to Alan Milburn. The former cabinet minister, currently leading a government-commissioned review into young people and work, argues that the current model is “brilliant at sorting young people by academic ability” but “poor at equipping them for adult life.” Milburn’s intervention highlights a growing disconnect between classroom priorities and the demands of a fast-changing labour market, where employers frequently report that school leavers are simply not-work-ready.
New YouGov polling of over 1,000 teachers reinforces this concern, with 74% stating there is too much emphasis on passing exams. Furthermore, 73% of educators believe there is insufficient focus on developing essential “soft skills” or preparing pupils for employment. The data reveals a troubling trend: six in ten teachers say young people’s soft skills have worsened over the past five years, while 66% believe overall readiness for work has declined. This serves as a “gauntlet” to policymakers to bridge the gap between academic standards and employability.
Milburn insists that high educational standards and real-world skills are not competing priorities. Instead, he advocates for a curriculum fostering the attributes young people need to succeed - communication and collaboration skills, agility and creativity — alongside formal qualifications. Teachers largely support this shift, with 98% backing universal careers advice and 92% supporting vocational pathways before age 16. There is a clear consensus that the system must provide alternative routes for those who struggle under the current high-stakes testing regime without lowering overall standards.
The review comes as official statistics show nearly 1 million 16- to 24-year-olds are not in education, employment, or training (Neet). Milburn warns that a system judged more on exam results than student destinations will face increasing scrutiny. To reverse the rise in youth inactivity, he calls for stronger links with employers and expanded access to meaningful work experience, asserting that government ambition must be matched by “action at scale” to ensure long-term economic and social success.
(Adapted from https://www.theguardian.com)