Only half of UK students (54%) say school is giving them the skills they need for their dream job

• The UK leads the ranking of six European nations for future-ready education, but crucial gaps leave the success of its children uncertain
• Only half of UK students believe school is giving them the skills they need for their dream job
• Only 19% of under-3s are in early education, lagging behind Spain (42%) and Germany (40%)
• Student-to-teacher ratios in UK nurseries (18:1) are almost double Germany’s (10:1), raising concerns over personalised attention in the early years

The UK’s education system is standing still while the world races ahead. GoStudent’s new research, combining their Future of Education Report 2025 with national statistics, ranks the UK first among six major European nations for a future-ready education. However, with the prediction that 65% of today’s primary school children will work in jobs that do not yet exist, the research also reveals cracks in the system and a widening gap between the education received and the skills they will need to thrive in the future. From patchy early years education to underfunded mental health support, teachers, parents, and students all agree: the way we prepare children for the future must change – and fast.

To see the full report, please visit: https://www.gostudent.org/en-gb/education-report/2025/

Behind the UK’s top ranking lies an uncomfortable truth: early years education is underfunded and under-prioritised. High PISA scores (which measure 15-year-olds’ skills in reading, maths, and science), solid digital infrastructure, and an emphasis on cultural access have helped secure the UK’s position, but first place doesn’t mean first-rate preparation. While upper secondary funding has grown by 11.5% in the past decade, primary school investment has fallen by 3.9%, leaving the youngest learners at a disadvantage before they’ve even reached secondary school. As Nobel Prize–winning economist James Heckman demonstrated in 2011, “early childhood development from birth to age five has a profound impact on a child’s future success. Inequality begins at birth and can be addressed by investing in high-quality early childhood education.”

“Ranking first among the countries analysed is encouraging,” says Felix Ohswald, Co-Founder and CEO of GoStudent, “but the reality is that it’s still not enough. Other nations are already making major investments in future skills and teacher support. Without immediate, sustained action on funding, training, and innovation, the UK risks falling behind.”

Only half of UK students (54%) say school is giving them the skills they need for their dream job. While UK students show slightly more confidence than their peers elsewhere, the figure highlights that a significant proportion still feel unprepared for their future careers.

The best way to achieve that, they add, is by ensuring teachers have the training and resources to pass on those skills. If we expect students to be future-ready, the people teaching them must be too.

19% of under-3s are in early education, lagging behind Spain (42%) and Germany (40%), pointing to gaps in early years provision.
The cost of childcare in the UK remains among the highest in the OECD, forcing many parents to delay returning to work. Despite government plans to create 100,000 new places and open nurseries in schools, provision still falls short, especially in deprived areas, where Ofsted reports persistently low access.

Research shows that high-quality early years education plays a crucial role in cognitive and emotional development, and can help close long-term attainment gaps. “We’re missing an opportunity to set children up for success from day one,” says Felix. “Affordable, accessible early education should be a cornerstone of any future-ready system.”

Even for those children who do access early education, support is stretched thin. Student-to-teacher ratios in the UK are among the highest in Europe, not only in nurseries, but also in primary and secondary education. As students move through the system, these higher ratios persist, raising concerns about the ability of teachers to provide personalised support and effectively integrate new learning technologies. 

While technology can support learning, it cannot replace the value of strong, early relationships between teachers and children. “Smaller class sizes give teachers the space to truly understand each child’s needs,” explains Felix “If we want to give our youngest learners the best start, we have to give their teachers the capacity to do that work.”

The choice is ours. Act now to future-proof education, or watch our lead vanish. The question isn’t whether change is coming, it’s whether we’ll be ready when it does.

For the full report, visit: https://www.gostudent.org/en-gb/education-report/2025/