The petition of Katelyn Banks,
Declares that the current educational curriculum does not adequately prepare students for the future; notes that that upon leaving secondary school, most students are not taught how to prepare for job interviews, manage loans or do taxes; further declares that the secondary school curriculum should therefore introduce a ‘lessons for the future’ class which teaches students how to budget, manage monetary funds and prepare for post-qualification life.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take into account the concerns of the petitioner and make a life skills class mandatory in secondary schools.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Rachael Maskell, Official Report, 18 April 2023; Vol. 731, c. 339.]
[P002829]
Observations from the Minister for Schools (Nick Gibb):
Every state-funded school already has a duty to offer a curriculum that is broad and balanced, and promotes the spiritual, moral, cultural, mental and physical development of pupils and prepares them for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of later life.
In addition, all schools, regardless of category and phase, are inspected against their ability to deliver a broad and balanced curriculum which is designed to give all pupils the knowledge they need to achieve well and succeed in life. As part of Ofsted’s assessment of both the quality of education and a school’s support for pupils’ personal development, inspectors will consider how a school prepares its pupils for the opportunities, responsibilities and experiences of life in modern Britain.
The content in relation to preparing pupils for the future already features in the relevant curriculum subjects, including relationships, sex and health education (RSHE), citizenship, computing and the requirement for state-funded schools to secure careers advice and guidance.
RSHE became statutory in September 2020. Relationships education is compulsory for all primary pupils, Relationships and sex education is compulsory for all secondary pupils and health education is compulsory for all pupils in state-funded schools. RSHE is designed to equip young people to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way. RSHE teaching in secondary schools builds on the knowledge acquired at primary about respectful relationships, in all contexts, including online, and develops pupils’ understanding of health and wellbeing. RSHE includes content related to the risks associated with online gambling, including the accumulation of debt.
Citizenship is compulsory in local authority maintained secondary schools as part of the national curriculum for key stages 3 and 4. Pupils should be taught the importance and practice of budgeting and managing risk, credit and debt, insurance, savings and pensions, financial products and services, and how public money is raised and spent. The mathematics curriculum and GCSE content includes the mathematical knowledge needed to underpin these applications, including topics such as compound interest.
Computing is compulsory in all local authority maintained schools. The curriculum ensures that pupils become digitally literate by ensuring that they can use programming and communication technology, at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
To support schools to realise the potential of all pupils, the Oak National Academy, which became an independent arm’s length body in September 2022, will provide adaptable, optional and free support for schools, reducing teacher workload and enabling pupils to access a high-quality curriculum. New Oak curriculum materials, including for mathematics, English and science, will start to be available from autumn 2023, with full curriculum packages available by summer 2024. Oak’s next phase of procurement of curriculum resources is expected to launch in late 2023, including for the subjects of RSHE, citizenship and computing.
All state-funded secondary schools in England have a legal duty to secure independent careers guidance for all year 7 to 13 pupils. Careers statutory guidance sets out that all schools should adopt the internationally recognised Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance to develop and improve their careers offer. We are investing over £31million in 2023-24 to support secondary schools and colleges to deliver high-quality careers education and work experience, including the national rollout of Careers Hubs.
The Careers & Enterprise Company will ensure that Careers Hubs increase young people’s exposure to employers and more in-depth workplace experiences. These experiences give young people a real feel for work and the skills they need to succeed.