I’m a parent, a school governor, a recruitment consultant and an academic consultant, although not necessarily in that order. I’ve got three little people at home and when I’m not working to try and secure a comfortable present for them I’m worrying about their futures. The more I worried, the more I looked into the schooling they’d receive near us. The more I did that, the more worried I became. Working for 16 years in recruitment, I know what the job market demands, I know what employers look for and I know now, both through the statistics, anecdotal evidence and first hand experience that schools up and down the country just don’t get it. The work I do with students and employers has further convinced me that too many schools are lying to their students about what they should be doing to get the kind of careers and consequently the kind of lives they want. I’m not sure if it’s laziness, complacency, stupidity or arrogance but anyway you look at it, the kids are getting screwed. I’m trying to change that both here, in my book (Is your school lying to you?) and through my work at Duart Consultants.
I think they deserve better, so that’s what this is about, to help you, the parents – know what you can do to help and why you shouldn’t take everything the school says at face value or you, the student – to figure out how to make the most of the opportunities you have, to carve out the life you want.