Research has shown that children as young as 7 have ingrained assumptions about the kind of work they can do when they leave education. Andreas Schleicher, the director of education and skills at the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), says that children run the risk of ruling out future job options because they make assumptions that their gender, race or social background will restrict their job choices. For many children their aspirations and knowledge about jobs is limited to what their family members do for a living, what their teachers advise or what they see on TV, films or social media.
Schleicher recommends that primary pupils need access to ‘inspiring role models’ from a full range of industries, professions and sectors to harness the full potential of the next generation. He quotes the US children’s rights activist Marion Wright Edelman: ‘You can’t be what you can’t see.’
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