Welcome And Guest Introduction

Fatima Bey 0:02

Mind Shift Power Podcast. This is Mind Shift Power Podcast, the number one critically acclaimed podcast where we have raw, unfiltered conversations that shape tomorrow. I'm your host, Fatima Bay, the Mind Shifter. And welcome everyone. Today we have with us Claire Ford. She is out of the UK in England, and she's the founder and CEO of Switched On, where she is also a teen success coach. She is also an author. We have a lot to talk about today. How are you today, Claire?

Clare Ford 0:38

Hi, Fatima. I am feeling good today. Thank you so much for having me on your podcast.

Fatima Bey 0:44

And I'm glad to have you on. So I like to dive right into it. So tell us, tell the audience today, what brings you to this podcast?

Clare Ford 0:52

Well, I jumped at the opportunity when you reached out because I love connecting with parents and teens. Obviously, yours is an award-winning platform, and uh it's an opportunity to share, you know, what I'm seeing with teens here in the UK, but also to give those practical next steps to parents and the teenagers to help them build their skills and confidence even further.

School Design And Teen Literacy Drop

Fatima Bey 1:15

Yes. And I'm I was happy to speak to you because you you just you have so much. So let's let's just show the audience what I'm talking about. So in looking to your website, you said something that stood out to me very strongly. And it says, quote, school was never built for human souls, it was built to produce workers, and our teens are paying the price, end quote. That is a powerful truth. So, with that being true, what does that actually look like today in the UK when it comes to literacy?

Clare Ford 1:50

Yeah, so I think the thing is that schools are rewarding standardization, right? They're rewarding uh, you know, you get the grades if you do the right things. But what we're seeing is that teens to be academically successful, they really need that personal development because uh if they just feel measured but they're not being supported, that is going to result in avoidance, in shutting down their behavior, um, and not really getting the results that are needed. And this is being seen actually in literacy. Uh, we've noticed that uh the National Literacy Trust in 2025 said that only 32.7% of teenagers enjoy reading in their free time, which is the lowest in 20 years.

Fatima Bey 2:41

Wow. I did not know that. That's that's not that surprising. Why do you think I know that there are many reasons, but what are one or two reasons why you think that is?

Clare Ford 2:52

I mean, I just think that that uh the whole whole society has changed, and free time is very different to, you know, when you or I might have been teenagers, you know, there wasn't that much to do if you weren't out racing around on your bike or seeing your friends, you were sitting inside reading, colouring, drawing, watching television. So um there the whole time sort of leisure time has changed. I think also there's the role models. I don't think many young people see their parents even reading. Um, I mean, I know, you know, we might read before we go to sleep, but in the day, how often do you see somebody sitting around reading a magazine, reading a car magazine? You know, how often do boys see dads reading, right? We're not role modelling to our young people that reading is useful or is pleasurable. So we're reading things, of course, but we're reading them on screens. And so you can't actually tell if somebody is reading or if somebody's playing a game or if somebody is texting or whatever they're doing. So it's all happening on screens, and I think that this has made it a massive impact actually on the pleasure of reading.

Why Teens Stop Reading For Fun

Fatima Bey 4:04

Yes. And nowadays we, you know, we're we're society has changed, we're technologically in a different space. So we really don't have to read much. We can have AI read everything to us audibly. And for some people with learning disabilities, that is extremely helpful. And for other people, it makes them mentally lazy, and and they don't see the need, the importance for reading. Uh, but we're gonna talk a little bit more in detail about that in a in a few. So let me ask you this when we talk about literacy gaps, people hear it as an academic issue, which you know you just stated. But what does that actually mean in real life for a teenager in in England in particular, trying to function day to day?

Clare Ford 4:48

Yeah, so I think the the thing that I'm really massively noticing uh is this lack of vocabulary. You know, English is such an incredible, incredibly rich language with nuances, and people just aren't using them. Young people aren't hearing the range of vocabulary, and therefore they're not using the range of vocabulary. Um, and I think what this means is that people can't express themselves as well. They can't express themselves with clarity, they can't find the exact word to say what it is that they mean. And so this can this can lead to frustration, certainly, uh, and and lower confidence. Um, I think also it means that perhaps instructions are misunderstood and uh writing is perhaps avoided altogether, uh, which has, you know, particularly dire consequences when it comes to uh having those skills to use later on in further higher education or employment.

Fatima Bey 5:50

Let's take a deeper dive into what you just said because I think that is key to understanding why this matters so much. It's not just a matter of you should be more educated so we can be smarter. You know, it goes deeper than that as far as effects. Let's dive deeper into those effects. A couple of the effects you just you just mentioned. How does that affect them when it comes to jobs and working in careers?

Clare Ford 6:13

Yeah, exactly. Uh, I mean, I think employers have noticed poorer literacy skills in recent years. Uh, there was a job outlook study by NACE, uh, which says that 72.7% of employers look for written communication skills on a resume. And the UK Employer Skills Survey in 2024 said that the lack of reading and understanding instructions contributed to a 30% of skill shortage vacancies.

Fatima Bey 6:46

So are you? Oh my god, y'all can't see my face, but I'm my jaws just dropped. Go ahead.

Clare Ford 6:53

Yeah, I mean, young people, you know, are missing the mark. They're not coming out of education with the basic literacy and numeracy skills which are needed in the workplace.

Fatima Bey 7:05

And how do you think that's actually affecting this current generation of young workers?

Clare Ford 7:10

I think it makes them lack confidence. I think it makes because I think they're aware of it, they're they're mindful of it. Um, I think it, yeah, and and it leads to poorer emotional literacy skills as well. It means that they're maybe not able to communicate so well, they don't feel as confident in a team situation where they have to put their point across quickly and succinctly. There's all sorts of different things. They maybe wouldn't apply for jobs, which perhaps they could do because they're worried that their resume is going to look like AI wrote it and they don't know how to edit it. All sorts of things.

Real Life Costs Of Literacy Gaps

Fatima Bey 7:51

You know, we're talking, you're in the UK, so we're specifically talking about the UK, but everything I hear you saying so far, I think mirrors the US. Um, but I think our numbers, and I didn't bring the U the US numbers to this conversation because we're talking about UK, but I'm gonna guess based on what I do know that our numbers probably mirror yours, but worse. Maybe just a little bit worse. Um, because a lot of what you're saying is is just is true here as well. Um, because every country doesn't have the same literacy issues, uh, for sure. But yeah, it's it's such a big issue. Um speaking of of school systems, so we hear a lot that the education system is failing young people, which I agree with, but that's kind of a broad statement. Specifically in you in the UK, where is it breaking down when it comes to preparing teens for real life? We just talked about how they're not prepared, but specifically, where are they not preparing them?

Clare Ford 8:47

I think that the the skills that they're learning at school are outdated. So they're just regurgitating information, most of which they're not going to actually need. This is the problem. We're not actually uh giving them the skills that they need to be future-ready citizens who can contribute in a meaningful way. We're giving them the skills that would have helped, you know, 40, 50 years ago to contribute in a meaningful way. And this is the big gap. You know, they need to have to have more financial literacy, for example, need to know what to do with their money when they finally start to earn it. They need to understand about debt, they need to understand about savings and investments, because, you know, potentially when they get to retire, there isn't going to be any money in the coffers to support them anyway. Um, so they need to be mindful and made aware of all these kinds of things. They need to learn what are the skills to bring into the workforce which are relevant nowadays, which are actually the soft skills, which aren't really taught in schools at all. So that's things like critical thinking, you know, making sure that they ask better questions. Uh creativity. AI can't replace creativity. It can only replace what you what the question that you put in, the the command that you put in for it to build. So if you're a creative thinker, you can create something better than somebody who's not creative. So we need to think about those creativity skills. We need to think about communication and collaboration skills, team building, leadership skills. All of these things are important, and they are actually, I would suggest, founded on literacy because words have power. Words have power, words are what create and manifest your life, right? You have to be able to master your thoughts in order to master your life. So you have to be able to manage the words and think better thoughts, think higher-level thoughts, ask better questions in order to master your life. And I think that we're not putting enough emphasis on the soft skills that young people need in order to move forwards in the future with confidence so that they can thrive. It's not just about history and you know, Shakespeare and all of that. Yes, there's a space for that, of course, to broaden your horizons. But I think emotional literacy, financial literacy, digital literacy, and language are absolutely the key subjects that need to be taught rigorously now.

Outdated School Skills And Future Readiness

Fatima Bey 11:25

So when you're talking about literacy, you're not just talking about reading and writing. And I love that you mentioned those other details because they are all different eggs in the same basket. And I think it's important that people understand. So this particular episode, I'm normally talking to teens, sometimes I'm talking to adults, but in this situation, we're talking to the adults who affect the education system around our teens. And I think that that is, we're talking about the UK in particular, but for those of you listening, take the bits and pieces that are true for your society and grab something from it. Because this is not just a UK issue, and it really is not just a US issue either. Um, as Claire said earlier, it's a societal issue. And I just wanted to point that out. Now, there's this this ties into what you just said, but I'm gonna take a little bit of a deeper dive. There's a lot of focus right now on confidence, resilience, and mindset. I focus on those things too. But if a teen is struggling with basic literacy, are we at risk of building confidence without capability?

Clare Ford 12:31

Yes, I think that confidence must be built alongside the skills, because otherwise it collapses under the pressure. So it's about building both, right? You can have the skills, but if you're not confident enough to use them, it doesn't work. You can have all the confidence in the world and talk your way into a good thing, but if you don't have the skills underneath to back it up, and that could even be skills on delegation, right? Skills to use AI. Like you, it doesn't have to be particularly literacy skills, but it needs to be the skills to work in teams, to work with people, to know how to get stuff done. And that is all communication, which is language, learning, a language, listening, speaking, reading, and writing. So yes, I think they have to go alongside each other in parallel.

Fatima Bey 13:26

So what I'm hearing is from some of what you're saying, there's a difference between teaching information and teaching skill.

Clare Ford 13:36

Yes. You've hit the nail on the head because the skill is the application.

Fatima Bey 13:41

Right. And there's a lack of that right now. There's a lack of teaching information, information. And let's be politically correct and not address real issues. Information, information. Uh did I summarize it?

Clare Ford 13:54

You know, why are we teaching, you know, um uh children who are age seven and eight about fronted adverbials when they can't even spell their name? It's ridiculous.

Fatima Bey 14:05

Mic drop, you just said it. You just absolutely said it. And why are we passing kids on to the next grade, the next level, and they can't even read or function at the level they're supposed to be at?

Clare Ford 14:16

This is it. I get I when I work with teenagers, you know, with young adults, some of them find it very, very hard to actually write with a pen, with joined up writing. Their writing is illegible.

Fatima Bey 14:28

Yeah, good point, because now everything is typed. Um, everything is typed. And there are certain I would say there's certain career paths where writing is still required. Um, and uh yeah, you're right. A lot of them, they're not taught cursive anywhere. Are they taught cursive? I know here in the US, they're pretty much for the most part not taught cursive anymore. And I think there's some school districts changing that. But is that true for the US as well? I mean, for the UK as well?

Clare Ford 14:54

Well, I personally teach cursive still. Um, it is taught in most schools. I actually think it's the best best way for young people for their exams, they all have to write their exams. I think it's the best way for them to write quickly and legibly. That's the point. Yeah. We handwrite exams over here still in the UK. Okay. The big exams at 16. Yeah. Yeah. So it's no good just saying, oh, it doesn't matter, you know, the teacher can read my writing. Or yeah. You've got to be able to write them to pass their exams. Now, you may argue, well, you don't need to use writing in the workplace. I would argue that you do. You know, yes, of course, you're typing emails and letters and things like that, but you're leaving notes on colleagues' desks and things as well, you know. You're writing in uh cards to say, you know, happy birthday. You're still writing. Um, and and I think if you look like your writing is grown up and intelligent, it actually makes a good impression.

Fatima Bey 15:53

So let me ask you this. If nothing changes in how we're approaching this, what do you think the long-term impact will be for this generation of teens right now?

Clare Ford 16:05

So I think that they're not going to see the impact immediately, but it's actually going to uh to be very measurable when they become adults. When they become adults, that's when they're going to see it. There's going to be more anxiety, more avoidance of learning. They're not necessarily going to be lifelong learners like maybe some of us are, perhaps going and doing master's degrees when we're in our 50s and things. I think you're going to see less of that. Um, they're going to perhaps avoid admins. So they're going to use the AI tools to perhaps do some of the tasks for them, which I'm all for. But you've got to be able to check what's been done. You've got to be able to check and edit. You can't just take the first draft of anything as verbatim. Um, and actually, I think this is then going to give them fewer options, you know, if they're not literate enough to be able to analyse legal documents, documents for uh contracts, for example, then they're not going to have the same opportunities as somebody who has confidence in those literacy skills. And lastly, but very importantly, is they're not going to necessarily be able to hand those literacy skills down to their children. There's going to be even less role modeling than there is now. Not only are the children of the teenagers now not going to see their parents read, they're maybe not even going to see them write.

Fatima Bey 17:32

And so to me, it sounds like we have a current system. And I mean, currently today in 2026, we have a current education system setting up our youth for failure. With that being said, we've talked about what all the problems are. Well, we didn't talk about all of them. We just talked about some of them. But we've talked about what some of the problems are. What, Claire, what do you see as some of the solutions to this? What can we do to make a change?

Confidence Without Skills Falls Apart

Clare Ford 18:00

So I think some of the solutions are that we need to um consciously, within family units, uh, decide to put our phones down and actually have a conversation. That has to be one of the first things. We have to actually come together in small communities and converse and tell stories like we used to do around the campfires as tribes. We need to involve our elders again, our elderly people and tell stories of their lifetimes. We need to talk and communicate and not just text and send emojis and talk to ChatGPT, right? We need to collaborate and connect and communicate with each other once again so that language becomes important.

Fatima Bey 18:50

Yes. That's yes, making that's that's very general uh principle that people need to understand first before they start figuring out different ways to implement that. So, since we're talking about different ways to implement that, I mentioned in the beginning that uh you're the founder and CEO of Switched On. So I want you to tell the audience what is switched on and how is it a part of the solution and everything we're talking about?

Clare Ford 19:17

So, switched on is the academy that I set up uh during the pandemic because so many young people were coming to me who were switched off in inverted commas. That meant that they were bored of learning, they couldn't see the point in it, um, they were doing stuff that didn't that was meaningless to them, um, and they were just switched off learning altogether. So I'm like, right, we need to light the spark, right? We need to light the spark. So I'm going to call this academy switched on. We're going to switch on our young people back into learning to make it meaningful, to make it relevant, to make it exciting, uh, to make it practical, to get them interested and involved again. And so this is what I do, uh, including the literacy support where it's needed. But it's about building that academic confidence, giving them the study skills that they need, uh, and importantly that emotional resilience to overcome the ups and downs and the hurdles. So I work in three pillars: practical, emotional, and academic. And I think all of those things are needed in order to see that success.

Fatima Bey 20:31

Yes, they absolutely are. And that's one of the reasons why, um, audience, that's one of the reasons I had Claire on today. A lot of people could talk about education systems and they could talk about teens, but not everybody, every day I run into somebody who can talk about the collaboration between all of those um in one person. And she actually has a system that uh approaches it in a realistic way. Um, so I love that you do that, uh Claire, and I love that you you really have a passion for it. Um, the first time I talked to you, that's one of the reasons I was like, I gotta have her on, because you didn't just say, Oh, here's some information. You had a passion for it. That means to me more than anybody with a bunch of information. Now, having said all that, what advice do you have for the youth in the world today?

Clare Ford 21:17

So, to any young people listening, I want you to know this. You are worthy of being seen for who you really are. Not the version of you that gets the grades, not the version of you that's keeping everyone happy, but the real version of you. And your voice matters, your ideas matter, your gifts and your talents are needed, even if you're still figuring out what they are. So I want you to know not to shrink to fit a system that was never built to measure your full potential. Keep being you because that's what the world needs. And to any parents listening, recognize the person standing in front of you. For who they really are, not for who you wish them to be.

Handwriting And Exams In The UK

Fatima Bey 22:05

Uh, can I can we say that about 45 more times? Because that last part is so critically important. So often parents uh and sometimes, you know, school teachers, administration, people in different authority positions are trying to convert our youth into their idea of who they think they should be instead of who God created them to be. Very different, very different approaches, very different mindset, very different vision. And I think what you just said is extremely powerful and could change the whole world if people actually started doing that. And we could develop a generation of amazing, powerful people if people would just allow them to be themselves.

Clare Ford 22:49

Now, Claire, where can people find you? So the the simplest thing really is to go to my website, which is switchedondlobal.com. Uh, and on there there's all sorts of information, there's a free parent guide. People can find out more about me. There's videos on there. Uh so yeah, the website is the best place. There's links on there as well to my social media platforms, switched onglobal.com.

Fatima Bey 23:15

And all of that will be on the uh podcast page in the description. Um, and thank you so much, Claire, for coming on. I I want to repeat your I want to repeat your quote one more time because I think it's I might even put it on my own social media because I think it's so powerful. School was never built for human souls, it was built to produce workers, and our teens are paying the price. I want you all, every single one of you, to sit with that quote because it is a thousand percent true. And I want you to think about how deep that goes. Once again, Claire, thank you so, so, so, so much for coming on.

Clare Ford 23:56

Thank you so much. It's been an amazing conversation, Fatima.

MindShifting Moment

Fatima Bey 24:01

And now for a mind-shifting moment. This message is for any adult listening, whether you are in the school system or just the average Marrier Joe. I want you to think about this. What are we producing? This next generation, a good portion of them, cannot properly read and write. And it's not just Claire saying that or noticing that. It is a fact. How does that help their future? We know that literacy is tied to success of any kind when it comes to money or career. So we have a generation that is almost guaranteed to fail when it comes to finance and careers. What are we producing? And if you don't like the answer to what we're producing, good. Now we have your attention. But what are you gonna do about it? What are you gonna do about it? What can you do about it? Well, maybe you can take a youth in your neighborhood, in your church, in your family, and begin to read to them. Have them read back to you. Something as small as that, if everybody did their part, would make a change. But some of you, maybe that's all you can do and that's great. What else can you do to help this next generation who we now call teens to become interested in their own futures and interested in literacy? It really is important. You heard Claire's passion. That passion is there for a reason, a good reason. So what are you gonna do? You've been listening to Mind Shift Power Podcast for complete show notes on this episode, and to join our global movement, find us at fatimabay.com. Until next time, always remember there's power in shifting your thinking.