Primary kids must get careers classes to stop them ruling themselves out of jobs

All primary school pupils should be taught about careers to break down negative stereotypes about gender and background, MPs have said.

The Commons Education Committee found that teaching children about the world of work at an early age would help raise aspirations.

It said careers education should focus on “ensuring that children before the age of 10 do not rule out options for themselves because of where they live or what their parents do”.

Committee chairman Robin Walker said: “Getting careers education right would do so much to inspire and boost the life chances of young people in every corner of the country. It would also help the UK economy by filling skills gaps in the labour market, while being a tool for levelling up deprived areas.

“We heard how careers education at primary school can counter negative stereotypes around gender, race, and economic background that become embedded in pupils’ minds.

“It can raise the aspirations of children with SEND (Special educational needs and disabilities) by highlighting the multitude of jobs they can aspire to do.

“Learning about different jobs also helps inform children’s subject choices as they progress through the school system.”

It comes as a separate report found highly-able disadvantaged pupils achieve a whole grade lower per GCSE subject on average than the most affluent highly-able children.

Research by the Sutton Trust revealed that 62% of non-disadvantaged high attainers got five or more grade 7-9s (the top grades) at GCSE in 2021, compared to 40% of high-potential pupils who were disadvantaged.

If the disadvantaged group progressed at the same rate as their peers, there would have been almost 7,000 more achieving top GCSE grades in 2021.

Over five years, this amounts to over 28,000 pupils, the report found.

Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, said: “It’s tragic that the talent of so many youngsters showing early promise is being allowed to go to waste.

“This is not only grossly unfair, damaging the life changes of young people, but by wasting their talent we’re also damaging the country.”