18/03/2025
Changing the UK Education System: A Call for Parents and Businesses to Unite
Since lockdown, more parents than ever have had an insight into what their children are being taught. Many have been left questioning its relevance. The rigid curriculum, the relentless focus on testing, and the lack of space for creativity have become more apparent. At the same time, businesses are saying that the education system is not producing the creative thinkers they need—people who can imagine solutions to problems that don’t even exist yet.
So how can parents and businesses come together to force real change?
The Problem: An Outdated System
The UK’s education system is still largely based on a model designed for the industrial age. It prioritises memorisation, compliance, and exam performance over creativity, independent thought, and real-world problem-solving. But the world has changed. Businesses are looking for people who can:
• Think critically and adapt to change.
• Solve complex problems with creativity.
• Work collaboratively and communicate effectively.
Yet, the education system is still training children to pass exams, rather than preparing them for a future where AI, automation, and global challenges will demand entirely new ways of thinking.
The Power of Parents and Businesses Working Together
Parents and businesses both have a vested interest in education reform. Parents want their children to thrive, and businesses need employees who can think for themselves. By working together, they could become a powerful force for change.
How Can Parents Drive Change?
1. Ask Questions and Challenge Schools
Parents can push schools to justify why certain subjects are taught in rigid ways and why creativity and independent thought aren’t prioritised. Attending school meetings, questioning curriculums, and advocating for project-based learning can start important conversations.
2. Support Alternative Approaches
There are schools and organisations experimenting with new models of education, such as inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary projects. Parents can support these initiatives and push for similar approaches in mainstream education.
3. Use Their Collective Voice
Parents can unite through petitions, social media campaigns, and lobbying MPs to demand an education system that reflects the modern world. The more noise parents make, the harder it will be for policymakers to ignore.
How Can Businesses Drive Change?
1. Demand Skills Over Grades
If businesses want creative thinkers, they need to stop relying on academic results as the main measure of ability. More companies should value portfolios, project work, and problem-solving skills over traditional qualifications.
2. Collaborate with Schools
Businesses can work with schools to create meaningful work experiences, project-based learning opportunities, and mentorship programmes that develop real-world skills.
3. Fund and Support Innovation
Businesses can invest in alternative education models that focus on creativity, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving, rather than rote learning and exams.
Real Change Requires Collective Action
The UK education system won’t change unless the people it serves—parents and businesses—demand it. By working together, they can push for a system that nurtures creativity, fosters independent thinking, and prepares children for a future that is anything but predictable.
Education should not be about passing tests. It should be about developing the thinkers, creators, and innovators of tomorrow. It’s time we made that a reality.
