Raising the school leaving age

Juvenal Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 10:26:09 AM GMT Print-friendly version Facebook

Alan Johnson is floating the idea of raising the school leaving age to 18. A good example of creative, progressive thinking from the Government.



There are many reasons why individuals and society would benefit from an increase in the school leaving age. People with better education earn more in their lifetimes. Economic rates of return for society as a whole are even higher. The economy is changing. Gone are the days of large scale, labour intensive industries that could mop up the less educated. There are fewer jobs for the unskilled to do; those jobs that do exist tend to be filled by migrant labour. And of course there are many non-economic benefits associated with raising the overall standards of education and learning.

But it's important not to see this as a panacea for society's requirements of its future workforce and citizens. Of all EU and G8 countries, only four have a school leaving age of 18 - Belgium, Hungary, Poland and the US. So it does not, by itself, deliver the best economically performing nations.

Most importantly, any raising of the leaving age has to be accompanied by a serious investment in alternatives to A levels if the academically less-gifted are to remain both engaged and at school for another two years. In particular, vocational qualifications need to be better valued, both by parents, learners and employers. This is something that the Government is already working on. Get these elements right first, and the switch to 18 may work, as well as being politically popular.

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Raising the school leaving age | 12 comments (12 topical)

Re: Raising the school leaving age (#1)

by Mike Ion on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 12:47:59 PM GMT

I have posted about this myself. I really do raising what we really should term the education-leaving age is crucial to the long-term investment in the talents and abilities of our nation. Doing so will increase the economic potential of the future workforce, and so will bring increased tax revenues in the long term to more than cover any initial costshink


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#2)

by Loz on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 02:52:42 PM GMT

Could create difficulties in that its hard enough keeping some 16 year olds in school just to finish their gcses.

I'm sure thats only a small issue that could be delt with.

School isn't for everyone, so I think a continued programme of dispensation for those more suited to other forms of educational activity or even work itself would be a fair deal.

Undoubtably education needs reform, so its a welcome sign of initiative on the governments part. No more than we would expect.


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#3)

by Anonymous on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 03:11:43 PM GMT

This would be a welcome move and I hope serious thought will be given to allow students to go to their nearest further education college to complete their education after 16, as many FE colleges offer more in the way of vocational education as well as academic. The FE sector is the best option for post 16 education.


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#4)

by bornin84 on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 04:10:10 PM GMT

I think this is a great idea, however I think we probably have to get away from the talk of 'rasing the school leaving age'. Students who already want to stay on at school already do, often at sixth form or FE colleges where they do A-levels or other courses. There must be more encouragement that as GCSE teaching and results improve that more people take this route.

But the majority who leave school at 16 at the moment are unlikely to be encouraged even to attend an FE college. More needs to be done to explain the full breadth of courses and options available to people. Also there needs to be encouragement and access to apprenticeships. This requires more work with business and employers, particularly at a local level. There is also a great opportunity here for unions to be more involved in the training process.

As Alan Johnson has laid out, this is primarily an initiative that will have far more tangible benefits for the individual than society, though there are benefits for both, and this is the point I believe that will have most impact with the electorate.


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#5)

by swatantra on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 05:19:47 PM GMT

WE need more vocational courses, sandwich courses and courses where the kids acually do some work experience in the community. The Army and Services need to be brought in on practical training by offering 'cadetships'. At 18 all students should be encouraged to take a gap year doing community work, from the most able to the least able before proceeding onto university or a career. No make that a compulsory gap year.


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Re: Raising the school leaving age (#6)

by bornin84 on Sun Nov 12, 2006 at 05:39:01 PM GMT

Agree totally, a compulsary year of 'doing some good' would be really beneficial. I really feel this would connect young people to their communities a lot more. They could be working on environmental projects, youth work, community projects, social work, caring, or enter the armed services. This would benefit society and the individual. I would hope there would be some kind of financial support from government for this.


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Re: Raising the school leaving age (#7)

by Regrettable Actions on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 12:41:47 PM GMT

Aaaahh. I love the smell of hypocrisy in the morning...

The Google adverts on the page contain one focused on getting your child into the right school and asks you to:

by purchasing the detailed 50 plus page manual written by Matt entitled "Secure the School of your Choice".

And there is another advert advocating buying essays off the internet!


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#8)

by Juvenal on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 01:01:22 PM GMT

Google comes up with some classics on this site, like promoting David Mellor for speaking engagements.  On the recent blog interviewing Blunkett, there was an ad for dog tags!


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Re: Raising the school leaving age (#9)

by Mark Wadsworth on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 03:56:20 PM GMT

This whole idea is nuts and will go the same way as the recent idea about quotas for faith schools.

If kids haven't learned anything by age 16 they aren't go to learn anything more in the next two years. The simple issue of enforcement/truancy is insurmountable. And what about those 17-18 year olds who want to do well; they will find their studies constantly interrupted. Teachers are intimidated enough, do they really want totoally unmotivated 17 and 18 year olds hanging round causing trouble?

How about encouraging employers to bring back apprenticeships, backed up by a modest Citizen's Income to subsidise the low pay that apprentices get. In fact, reduce the level of benefits that NEETs get to the same level and the problem will sort itself out in no time.


Re: Raising the school leaving age (#10)

by bornin84 on Mon Nov 13, 2006 at 09:56:17 PM GMT

Wow Mark! You make a riduculous point at the start because as we all know, anyone who currently leaves school at 16, wouldn't get the grades to go back into an A-level classroom!

And then you make a point about apprenticeships that's already been made!


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Re: Raising the school leaving age (#11)

by alexhilton on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 11:11:28 AM GMT

Actually, I left school at 17 myself and I did get the grades to get into A-Level. Just chose to do other things instead.

People develop at different times, physically, educationally and in terms of maturity. A rigid education system delineating what you should be achieving and at when will always fail some children, regardless of their abilities.

I would like to see the entire school curriculum, including A-Levels, modularised and delivered over the internet so that anyone, of any age, can access it module by module and once they have completed a course, pay to be examined on it and earn the qualification... at least for nonpractical subjects anyway.


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Re: Raising the school leaving age (#12)

by alexhilton on Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 11:12:43 AM GMT

erm - I should clarify that I'm not one of those failed by the school system. That last comment sounded a bit chippy on reflection


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Raising the school leaving age | 12 comments (12 topical)