Rebuilding education has to be about more than grades

‘Britain took in a young Kurdish boy without a word of English and made him a Cabinet minister. Now it’s my turn to make sure that the opportunities that transformed my life are available to every child in every corner of our great country.” These were the words of the new Secretary of State for Education, Nadhim Zahawi, at this week’s Conservative Party conference as he reflected on the power of education.

With just two weeks to go until the autumn Comprehensive Spending Review, the Government must turn warm words into real opportunities for all young people and deliver on its promise to “level up”.

It’s hard to overstate the impact Covid has had on young people’s lives. Disruption, disorientation and dislocation have ripped relative certainty, calm and control from beneath their feet. Months of lost schooling have taken their toll academically, with serious long-term implications for jobs, earnings and social mobility. Less well recognised, but just as significant, is the impact of prolonged social isolation and the absence of enrichment opportunities that broaden young people’s horizons and allow them to develop independence, character and the “soft” skills they need in life.

It is encouraging to see politicians of all parties talking about the need to support young people, but investment in tutoring and mental health services will not be enough. We must think differently about what great education looks like.

Opportunities to engage in extracurricular and enrichment activities help young people to develop more roundly, to grow in independence and work constructively with others. Independent schools and employers recognise the value of this holistic approach to education. Most independent schools offer a programme of activities as part of their core curriculum. We need to make sure that these opportunities are made available in all our schools.

You cannot learn life lessons from a textbook. But when young people have chances to explore their passions, challenge themselves and learn by doing, the confidence, resilience and problem-solving skills they develop outside the classroom positively influence their performance within it.

This was something that our founder, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, innately understood when establishing The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award 65 years ago. His vision is as relevant as ever and the need for action all the more urgent. Research suggests only a third of young people regularly participate in extra-curricular activities and participation is even lower among those from the most deprived backgrounds.

We are already working to expand the award to young people in areas of high deprivation, and a £3.4million grant from the Department of Education will help us extend the award to young people in almost 300 more schools in the most deprived areas of England over the next three years. But more is needed. This autumn’s Comprehensive Spending Review provides a perfect opportunity to think big and ensure that every young person can enjoy a wellrounded education that combines academic learning with tailored personal development.

Investment in universal youth development for young people is crucial, as is support for youth organisations, clubs, sports, arts organisations and education institutions that are required to deliver the diverse, high-quality activities that young people want and need. Mr Zahawi said that his education “threw open the doors of my mind”. We have a chance to give every young person this opportunity. We just have to grasp it.

Young people cannot learn invaluable life lessons from a textbook, as the late Duke of Edinburgh understood so well