London - Many teenagers are “wasting time” on foreign gap years, an international education conference has been told.
Advertising tycoon Sir Martin Sorrell said he “doesn’t believe in gap years” because many were poorly organised and depended on “serendipity”.
While spending months teaching English in a foreign country could be educational, too many youngsters squandered the rest of the year, he told the Varkey Foundation Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.
Sir Martin said a structured programme involving working for a business could prove more useful, but that a year was too short for any meaningful contribution.
His comments come as thousands of British youngsters plan for their gap years after receiving A-level results this summer.
Sir Martin, who is chief executive of advertising and PR company WPP, said companies such as his could get involved to help youngsters achieve good, long-term work experiences.
He explained: “The trouble with gap years is they’re short and that year has to be much more organised. Companies don’t find them enough time [to do something useful].”
He also said, that students “go to Japan for three months to teach English, or six months, and the rest of the time got wasted,’”adding: “Travelling is in and of itself an education, teaching English is valuable, but it could be more focused and decided.”
Sir Martin, who went to Cambridge followed by Harvard Business School, said he “worked at the equivalent of Dixons for a year...there’s nothing wrong in that. I’m sure it fashioned and changed me, it was valuable.
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Daily Mail