Do you think primary-school pupils are too young for careers advice?
Many commentators argue that an increased focus on curriculum-based assessment in our primary schools is distracting from real-life skills. But if our children are to have a fair shot at the top jobs in future, shouldn’t we be giving them a head start by providing careers advice from an early age? Not everyone can be an astronaut!
Which of these statements best reflects your opinion?
- 20% said The earlier we begin educating our little ones about their career prospects the better.
- 40% said I don’t think primary school is too early, but the advice should cover workplace skills like resilience and communication rather than providing specific information about possible career paths.
- 40% said Children in primary education are too young to be burdened with the anxieties of the workplace. Let them enjoy life!
Anne-Marie said on 4 July 2016
We do not know what many of the careers of tomorrow will be yet - who would have known about being a Social Media Manager 20 years ago! How can we therefore expect our primary children to consider options that don't exist yet. We should be encouraging them to be the best they can be with whatever gifts they have - that's it! Children benefit equally from playing as well as working. We need to cherish them at play or we risk them growing up stressed and unable to find outlets for relaxation, hobbies, social skills, etc. I never knew what career I wanted to do, even when I went to university. That did not stop me getting the best job in the world (my view) working for a charity for the last 15 years. Throughout my education careers advisers kept pigeon-holing me towards teaching - thank goodness I had the sense to ignore them - I would never have been happy as a teacher.