Raising the school leaving age to 18 - yay or nay?
Probabaly a rhetorical question, given I know what my answer is - NO.
Two main reasons:
1 - Is or is not a 16 year old an adult? If so, and there are many, many legal rights that accrue at that age, then it is no more acceptable for the state to be defining life choices for a 16 year old than it would be for a 45 year old.
2 - Teenagers bored at 16 will be at least as bored at 18, and will likely be a disruptive influence on other students.If he or she wants to be working - and not all jobs avaialble for 16 year olds are for flipping burgers - stopping that from happening is not likely to be very popular.
Thoughts, please.
Two main reasons:
1 - Is or is not a 16 year old an adult? If so, and there are many, many legal rights that accrue at that age, then it is no more acceptable for the state to be defining life choices for a 16 year old than it would be for a 45 year old.
2 - Teenagers bored at 16 will be at least as bored at 18, and will likely be a disruptive influence on other students.If he or she wants to be working - and not all jobs avaialble for 16 year olds are for flipping burgers - stopping that from happening is not likely to be very popular.
Thoughts, please.
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on Friday, November 10, 2006 at 10:14 am.
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Actually, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands all have a minimum school leaving age of 18. Britain is 24th of 28 industrialised countries for its staying-on rate, with 71 per cent of 16-year-olds staying in education.
Instead of forcing the unwilling to hang around school until they are 18, perhaps it would be better to give students education vouchers to shop around for courses in futher or vocational education.
For NuLabour, the idea of raising the school leaving age is certainly just a trick to depress youth unemployment figures. One in ten British children leave school with absolutely no qualifications whatsoever. The prospects of these children even getting an interview for a worthwhile job is, of course, remote.
I think the age should be raised too. Why not give teachers and society as a whole the chance at least to persuade errant kids the benefits of behaviour and joining the system.
Also I think that kids grow up alot in that time, I did for sure. They may well become relativley more studious et al.
It would not have to be full-time education though. The vouchers idea is a good one.
Definitely a nay, education does not suit all our young people, these youths would be better placed on vocational schemes. Our truancy numbers are higher than ever, there is no way the education authorities will be able to keep track on those who don't turn up, it will be a total farce.
Poor idea. Get these youngsters out to work. I don't want to be working 'til 70 because these sloths are dossing about on courses/educashun etc until their mid-20s. Apologies for grouchy tone. My head is sore. PS Heard some good stories about Sion Simon and George Osbourne from a Magdalen College old boy.
PT - if you won't risk spilling the beans on your blog, amy chance of e-mailing me with the findings?
I agree that this is a perfect stupid idea. Lower the regular school leaving age to 14, with the proviso that they are obliged to continue their education for two more years in a technical school or legally apprenticed to learn a trade. Many of these boys who disrupt classes just have no aptitude for book learning and keeping them for two extra years will be futile. And, as Ellee said, there will be no way of enforcing this ridiculous new law in the face of 50,000 adolescent boys who just won't turn up.
At least with a technical school or apprenticeship scheme, they will reach their 18th birthday with some usable qualifications.
Thus they will join the contributors to the economy.
Can I close by adding that this is yet one more essay at iron-fisted control of the formerly free population of Britain? Tony Blair and the slithering slithy toves in the cabinet. BTW, would going to prison disqualify him from being prime minister? Or has he slipped through a new law, among the over-700 that he has already nailed into British law, that a prime minister can act as prime minister from his prison cell? And will released for pointless, glory-seeking trips overseas?
Simple solution, put them in the forces, we all benefit
Nay. Definitely nay. Anyone with experience of teaching in Britain's "bog standard comprehensives" knows that all their problems arise from the need to teach the unwilling.
It's great that we can afford to give every British child the chance of a free education, but the disruptive behaviour of those who don't want to take that chance should not be allowed to spoil the chances of those who do.
If you are old enough to marry and serve in the forces, you are old enough to make decisions about your own education.
Nay, definitely.
Having been in a really poor state school, the sooner the LEA are able to get rid of them, the better.
Why not let them leave at 14 to do 2yr trainig courses instead of forcing them to choose between a range of GCSE's if kids sho no interest.
By 16, adults are adults. How can the state demand any type of educational attendance after that point? And many people should, and could, be able to go into qualified work by then anyway.
No , pointless and no doubt a ruse to give the appearance of improving crime and so on Those who will benefit stay.
The answer is stop making proper organic small scale capitalism impossible and encourage apprenticeships in the healthy green shoot companies . This is not the same as the regional grant scam shell companies . The supply side has been badly damaged and quick fix slash and burn measures ( Like flooding the SE with cheap Labour ) , do not fill the cavern where healthy medium sized business used to be . Where do 16 year olds go to get a real job training now ? They think they are going to be footballers or “rappers” god help us.. This is not a class thing , suggesting university is to good for some . There is plenty of time to return to whatever you like as you continue to mature and gain confidence from achievement ..I see many people who do not start to think until they are paid .What an easy problem to solve . What a mess we are in.
No. 14. No mandatory schooling thereafter, part-time or otherwise. But you must have a chit. It says either: educationally sub-normal or passed fair exams & can read, write and figure. You can come back later when you are ready, part-time, but NOT totally free of charge.
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