England Education Elixer

England: Schools to Offer Technical Subjects to Pupils From Age 14.

Secondary school pupils in England will be able to study subjects like manufacturing and AI in addition to core academic learning under reforms outlined by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

The government said the courses, which would be available from Year 10, would be linked to local industries and designed to give children a clearer pathway into work.

Data published this year showed more than one million young people across the UK were not in education, employment or training, the highest level in more than 12 years.

Few details have been published about how the new vocational courses would work in practice and it is not clear how they would operate in areas with low industrial activity.

The BBC understands that the government expects the new pathways into work to be up and running in some areas by 2028.

Later on Tuesday, the government also announced a new bursary of up to £4,500 for some families who would lose out on money if their children wanted to do an apprenticeship, because the child benefit they would lose out on would be worth more than the apprenticeship starter salary.

Speaking at a train manufacturing site in Derby, Burnham said: "We've had a system built for too long around the university route and it sends a message to some young people that they're some kind of second-class citizens, and it's just not right.

"They need an education system that works for them as well, that offers a path to all young people, that's balanced between academic and technical."

- Authors: Branwen Jeffreys, Nathan Standley, and Toby Mann (BBC)

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