In order to prepare young people for their future, we at the Commission on the Future of Oracy Education in England believe oracy should become the fourth “R” of education – of equal status to reading, writing and arithmetic.

In our final report, We need to talk, our recommendations include:

• an increased emphasis on oracy education to better prepare all young people to become fulfilled future citizens and combat increasing polarisation and misinformation;
• recognition of the essential role of oracy as a building block for reading, writing and students’ academic progression through school;
• acknowledgement of the rising importance of oracy skills in an AI-transformed labour market to ensure young people are well-prepared for success in the workplace