“Rigid” and “militaristic” school behaviour systems come in for criticism in report which is feeding into government review into youth under-employment
Like an army camp? A report on young people not in education, employment and training criticises "militaristic" approaches in schools. Image: iStock.
“Isolation” policies in schools also discussed negatively in report on NEETs. Also in this diary: an academy trust much-featured in these pages is to be broken up.
What seems a significant report published this week on the life experiences of young people not in education, employment or training – the so-called NEETS – features damning passages on their school experiences, including what it calls “rigid” behaviour management policies including the use of isolation.
“Inside the mind of a young NEET,” was co-authored by the former headteacher and speech-writer to Tony Blair, Peter Hyman, and commissioned as part of the former health secretary Alan Milburn’s wider investigation for the government into youth under-employment.
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By Warwick Mansell for EDUCATION UNCOVERED
Published: 22 May 2026
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The first place to start is to remove those who have been pushing this "no tolerance" system for the last 10+ years from positions of influence. Then we need to have a more nuanced and intellectual argument about behaviour moving away from the (crude, misunderstood and misapplied) models of behaviourism / control. This needs to involve the agency of the CYP and remove those control rules that have no impact on actual learning (as well as considering more deeply the purpose of education / schooling). The ridiculous and frankly odd über-control nonsense (sock colour, hair length, pen colour etc...) just needs to go and more reflective and subtle consideration to how school behaviour systems actually support young people. This will mean more investment but this will then be saved in the removal of later interventions.