Should primary schools really be predicting which children will become NEET?: Points of View

Teachers Talk Radio · Aug 14, 2026 · 1h 20m

Primary schools could be asked to identify children at risk of becoming NEET – not in education, employment or training – years before they actually leave school. Alan Milburn, who is leading a government review into Britain’s growing youth worklessness crisis, argues that the warning signs can appear from a very early age and that schools should play a bigger role in identifying pupils who may need additional support. But is this sensible early intervention – or another huge responsibility being placed on already overstretched schools? Can teachers really predict which primary-age children…