Reform UK hates ‘Mickey Mouse’ degrees – apprenticeships in dodgy crypto, anyone?

Reform UK recently convened a press conference, marking their second such event in a week during mid-August. The briefing featured party leader Richard Tice and Suella Braverman.

Notably absent from the event were Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf. Farage reportedly remains out of the public eye amid scrutiny over the party's funding models and his by-election performance. Yusuf is understood to be experiencing internal party disagreements. The conference took place at a decorating company's headquarters in Enfield.

During the conference, Richard Tice strongly criticized recent A-level and GCSE results. He suggested that approximately 80% of students either did not perform adequately or pursued what he termed "Mickey Mouse" subjects.

Tice specifically questioned the value of studying modern languages, asserting that non-English speakers should instead learn English. He also dismissed the study of history as irrelevant to contemporary life and deemed the concept of "learning to think" as over-emphasized. He contended that educational institutions were hindering students.

In contrast, Tice championed apprenticeships as a more valuable educational route. He recounted his own experience as an apprentice, recalling digging trenches, which he credited with shaping his career path to eventually become a CEO of a property company.