All I can say is this probably doesn’t surprise anybody except old out of touch boomers and the each states version of the VCAA (people who make the curriculums)
I felt this way when I was in high school. I wanted to take a year off, but was repeatedly told I’d never go back if I took time away.
I was depressed, miserable, and had no clear vision for what I wanted my future to be
I’m currently in a bit of a similar situation too, it’s disturbingly common
My situation was quite a while ago, so I have lots of empathy for new grads. With everything going on in the world, and how expensive everything is, we should be encouraging young people to explore their options. Instead we squeeze them into a one size fits nobody box.
I’m skeptical that it can increase since it was basically at almost 100% pressure back when I was in high school in the early aughts.
It makes less sense now, though. I was among the first demographic for which the return on a college degree did not match its price. Now, a degree is just baggage unless there is something you specifically want to study. It’s amazing how something like $30,000 of debt can last a lifetime once interest is factored in.
Edit: Now that I’ve read the article, I see this is about the UK specifically. My experience is with the US and its endless pressure for individuals to take on debt.
What
Where did you get the UK from?
Alcohol.