The new prime minister’s eye catching opening announcement on education contains important truths, interwoven with equally important misconceptions. In implementing his agenda, he has the potential to do much good, but also much harm.
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Ross Clark
Why a ‘social care levy’ is a bad idea
Most fundamentally, the design of the school curriculum is not the primary cause of the rapidly expanding crisis of young people not in education, employment or training (Neet). Neither is it the key driver of youth unemployment – most recently measured at 16.4 per cent, close to the highest level since 2015. The main culprits are instead the inflation-busting rises in minimum wage and national insurance contributions, the Employment Rights Act and a buckling welfare system which incentivises inactivity.
