Originally published in the Sunday Times, 10th January 2021

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One of the biggest challenges facing our nation is the creation of an education system that nurtures talent and creates opportunity for everyone.

However, debate about reform often focuses on two opposites — knowledge and skills. This is a false divide. Knowledge is only relevant alongside the skills to interpret it; skills are only useful when there is knowledge to draw on.

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Our current system is not fit for the 21st century. Social mobility continues to decline, and even before the pandemic we faced significant skills gaps: by 2024, there will be an estimated shortfall of four million skilled workers. Now Covid-19 has wreaked further damage, with millions of children missing lessons.

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"Urgent change is essential.

This starts with the scrapping of GCSEs."

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Too much technology in schools has been out of date for 10 years. Worse still, teachers are not sufficiently incentivised to integrate it into their practice. The UK is 31% behind the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development average in this respect.

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1. Urgent change is essential. This starts with the scrapping of GCSEs. In their place we need a broad baccalaureate, incorporating academic and vocational education at age 18.

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2. Second, the factory model — where each pupil advances at the same pace in every subject, regardless of ability and interest — must be swept away forever. Instead, we should enable personalised education through the use of new technology. 

3. Third, we need a radical re-engineering of the classroom. The effective use of technology, including AI, can provide seamless learning between school and home. 

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4. Clearly, the growth of AI and robotics will have a profound impact. So, fourth, we need a special royal commission on education, AI and exam reform that would include experts and report within nine months. It is essential we understand and prepare the nation for the impending changes in our economy and society.