Four children from every Year 6 primary school classroom on average will end up claiming out of work benefits, according to analysis.

The study by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) think tank found this was up from an average of three over the last five years, highlighting Britain’s ‘NEETs crisis’.

NEETs are young people not in education, employment or training.

The CSJ found too many children are falling behind with a system skewed in favour of university education and which is failing to equip youngsters for the world of work.

There are now over 100,000 young people aged 21 on Universal Credit and out of work. This translates to almost four children in every Year 6 classroom ending up on out of work benefits.

The think tank warned that those who fall behind at primary school face landing on a ‘conveyor belt’ to worklessness.

In the 2024/25 academic year, one in five Year 6 pupils, who are aged 10 and 11, did not meet the expected reading standard.

The CSJ estimates that almost 40,000 of these children are expected to spend at least 12 months continuously NEET in their early adult life. 

 By the time of their GCSE exams, 96 per cent of high attainers in primary school were found to pass English and Maths compared to 20 per cent of low attainers – highlighting the need for earlier interventions to cut off the NEET pipeline. This, for example, could include offering a different path to people who may be better suited to getting a trade or doing something technical rather than academic.

Department for Education figures show that in 2024/25, 73 per cent of Year 11s passed their English and Maths GCSE, compared to just 52 per cent in 2010/11, while England’s children have shot up international rankings.

However, the CSJ study criticised what it called a ‘uni or bust’ philosophy as after finishing 16 to 18-year-old education, 38 per cent of young people go into university. But just 7 per cent go into apprenticeships.

Highlighting the crisis facing UK youngsters, a recent review by former Health Secretary Alan Milburn found around 13 per cent of UK 16 to 24-year-olds are NEET.

This compares with 8 per cent in Germany and under 4 per cent in the Netherlands.

Dan Lilley, of the CSJ, said: ‘It’s time to jam the conveyor belt sending young people straight from school onto out-of-work benefits. No child should be doomed to a life on the margins.

‘That means ending the obsession with university, expanding technical education like we see in the Netherlands and rewiring the incentives across the education system to drive up employment outcomes for school-leavers.’

A Government spokesman said: ‘Too many young people are locked out of opportunity, work and education – and we are determined to change that.

‘Backed by £2.5 billion, our Youth Guarantee will deliver a million opportunities across the country, ensuring every young person has the chance to earn or learn.

‘Our apprenticeship reforms will reverse the 40% fall in starts among young people over the last decade, while Alan Milburn’s review is investigating the wider barriers stopping young people from getting into work.’