There is no aspiration without motivation

Some of the boys had a straightforward ambition to work "down the Austin" like their fathers, who would take them to Longbridge on the day they finished school and have them signed on as apprentices. Other boys, and many of the girls, had almost no expectation or ambition for further education or constructive employment. The best teachers were able to motivate pupils in education for its own sake, but far too many young people left school with low aspirations and little ambition.

I rapidly came to the view that academic science would not motivate all pupils. I also thought everyone should understand how the physical world worked. So I became an advocate of applied science for all. I also developed a course in industrial physics - pupils went out to local employers for a mix of work experience and a study of the scientific principles in use. To an extent it worked, and led me back to Birmingham and the Technical and Vocational Education Programme - a £1bn national scheme to ensure all young people achieved academically but also gained an understanding of the world of work.

But today, Ofsted is telling us careers education in schools is stereotyped and ineffective. Universal Connexions services are being wound down. And education-business partnerships are under threat. We have a world in which celebrity without effort is seen as desirable and achievable. And we have the English Baccalaureate, which will not, by itself, motivate pupils who need more motivation.

The consultation on the National Curriculum review has just ended and I hope that the Secretary of State sets a course that will promote high academic standards, develop an understanding of employment and employability and, crucially, motivate young people to succeed. All three are needed.

John Freeman CBE is a former director of children's services and is now a freelance consultant Read his blog at cypnow.co.uk/freemansthinking