Deschooling, Democracy and Accountability

Abstract

In June 2013, 1.09 million young people (aged from 16 to 24) in the United Kingdom were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) (Office for National Statistics, 2013). Of the total, 53.6 per cent were looking for work and available for work, while the remainder had either given up looking for work or were not available for work due to personal problems or family responsibilities. In 2009, in 27 European Union countries, an estimated 6.8 million young persons aged 18–24 were not in employment, education or training (Eurostat, 2011). Most young adults falling into this category were in Spain, Latvia, Ireland, Estonia, Slovakia, France and Greece. Those labelled as ‘NEETs’ by policymakers are of particular relevance to those interested in deschooling and democracy. This is because they point to the difficulties governments face in accounting for how their policies and practices are generating valued and valuable jobs. Without appropriate government policies, not only will the number of ‘NEETs’ escalate but so too will the adverse consequences on their lives.