Columnist Simon Jenkins argues that England's schools bear much of the blame for the rising number of young people classed as Neet (not in education, employment or training), warning that an exam-obsessed system devoid of vocational and life skills training leaves school-leavers unready for work. He draws on Alan Milburn's May report describing a generation of mostly poor Britons faring worse than their parents, and on employer surveys highlighting a mismatch between what schools teach and what the world beyond their gates requires.

The number of Neets, currently one in eight of 16- to 24-year-olds, is projected to reach 1.25 million by 2030, with state benefits for this group costing £8.1bn; a third have "good GCSEs" yet 44% remain on benefits, and special educational needs diagnoses have doubled in a decade. A Department for Work and Pensions employer survey found over 90% wanted more vocational pathways, citing gaps in motivation, teamwork and time management, while Jenkins also blames declining self-confidence, smartphone use and a lack of oracy teaching, and cites Jonathan Haidt's research on social media's effect on young people's conversational skills.