Lucy Powell coaxes Neets back to college by dumbing down maths and English requirements

Detailed summary

The move is part of the Education Secretary's drive to reduce the 150,000 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

Published: 20:15 GMT, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 20:15 GMT, 11 November 2026

Lucy Powell plans to coax Neets back to college by dumbing down English and maths requirements for them.

The move is part of the Education Secretary's drive to reduce the 150,000 16 to 18-year-olds who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

In future, these teenagers will be allowed to come back to college with the promise they can spend fewer hours studying maths and English than other students.

However, last night shadow education secretary Laura Trott said: 'Young people are not Neet because they are doing too much English and maths.

'Labour are hell-bent on blaming our education system for the Neets crisis, rather than doing some self-reflection on their total failure to crack down on a welfare system that incentivises young people to sit at home and taxing businesses to the hilt making it more expensive to hire.'

Under reforms introduced by the previous Tory government, all teenagers who failed to achieve a level 4 – equivalent to the old C – in maths and English GCSE were required to keep retaking it until aged 18 alongside whatever other studies or training they were undertaking.

It meant those studying, for example, beauty therapy, would still be working towards getting these GCSEs.

Critics said it was demoralising for those who repeatedly failed, so Labour announced this year alternative 'basic skills' qualifications that failing teenagers could take instead.

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