The sheer volume of commentary on education today reveals a system straining under the weight of its own contradictions. We are trying to “fix” a model whose criteria for success are constantly undermined by what the world rewards beyond the school gates. Perhaps the real question is not how to repair the system, but whether we are preparing pupils for the world as it actually is. If we reflected honestly on what the world needs, we could refresh an education system that serves pupils, teachers and society more effectively. Schools already teach pupils what to think about reading, maths, exam technique, subject knowledge. Some are trying to support pupils in how to think. But they rarely teach them how to test the ideas they inherit. Many of the assumptions shaping modern life – consumption as fulfilment, human exceptionalism, rugged individualism – are not neutral. They shape what pupils believe is possible and desirable. When these assumptions go unexamined, they quietly limit agency, wellbeing and responsibility. As a director of pastoral care, SENCO and classroom teacher, I see daily how pupils engage when learning is rooted in meaning, responsibility and connection. When we ignore those needs, pupils look elsewhere for fulfilment, through online escapism, consumer culture or the pursuit of status. If we want education to prepare young people for the world they are entering, we need to rethink what schools are for. Academic standards Crucially, this does not mean lowering expectations. High academic standards remain essential. But the route to those standards lies in developing the best of human skills: empathy, ethical reasoning, collaboration, curiosity and responsibility. When pupils understand their values and feel connected to their learning, they work harder, behave better and achieve more. A values‑driven culture strengthens – not softens – academic ambition. It also allows schools to model the behaviours they expect, creating greater harmony between pupils, staff and families. We teach reading and maths because they matter. But education’s purpose is broader: it must help young people live meaningful lives in a shared world. Humans are wired for connection: to one another, to ideas and to the natural world. When schooling treats that drive for true connection as an optional extra, pupils feel the gap immediately, often in the form of disengagement or anxiety. Teaching pupils how to choose their values is not an add‑on. It is a form of civic literacy. When children learn that purchases, votes and everyday behaviours are expressions of values, they gain agency and a clearer sense of purpose. This is not about telling them what to believe. It is about equipping them with the tools to evaluate competing claims and make informed, ethical decisions. In my classroom, pupils light up when the past becomes a mirror for the present. Studying the rise of Nazism, the witchcraze or the turbulence of Tudor rule forces them to confront how ordinary people’s choices, fears and failures to live by the best of human values produced persecution and collapse. Warnings These are not abstract lessons. They are warnings about what happens when empathy, reason and accountability are abandoned. Pupils need to know how such outcomes were possible, and how to prevent them. A values‑based education is also a wellbeing intervention. Rising rates of isolation, school refusal, anxiety and social, emotional and mental health needs show many pupils feel disconnected and powerless. Teaching values explicitly helps them see the power in everyday choices, words and relationships. For children with SEND, learning that their voice matters and practising small, achievable acts of agency can reduce helplessness and build resilience. As a SENCO and pastoral leader, I see the daily trade‑offs schools face: inclusion versus high expectations and supporting vulnerable pupils while maintaining rigorous standards. Teachers feel this acutely. A shared values framework would reduce these tensions by giving pupils and staff a common language for expectations, accountability and ambition. This work is not new, but the moment is different. Climate breakdown, biodiversity loss and ethical questions about how we treat animals make values‑based, sustainability‑literate education urgent. There is strong practice in pockets of schools, but systemic barriers remain: a crowded curriculum, narrow exam incentives and limited time for meaningful projects. The solution is partnership. Schools can work with charities, animal welfare groups and sustainability organisations to bring expertise and lived experience into lessons. If education equips young people to test ideas, weigh evidence and choose values that serve both themselves and the wider world, it will produce citizens capable of shaping a better future – for themselves, for other creatures and for the planet.