School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discuss

[Always_a_Civvy]

In today's Times (12 January 2007) it is reported that Brown, if he wins the leadership contest of the Labour Party following Blair's resignation later this year, is committed to raising the school leaving age to 18 with exceptions only for underage mothers [but not underage dads] and children looking after disabled/elderly parents [a disgrace in itself - why should they be penalised for doing good to the community?]... There may be a loophole in that children may only leave earlier if they are going on to a recognised training/education scheme such as an apprenticeship.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-2543473,00.html

Given that the RN still appears to rely heavily on recruiting 16 & 17 year olds as ratings, does this mean a steep decline in recruitment or a return to Junior (AB) Training Establishments with a year plus training combined with extra schooling to get round this obvious difficulty?

 

[dunkers]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I am SO glad I got out of the secondary education system when I did (recently) if this is the kind of bollocks they are coming up with.

It was bad enough going to school until the age of 16 with people who had absolutely no interest in their education and whose only desire was to cause the maximum trouble possible. (At 16, most of the wasters left.) Forcing non-academic teenagers through school will only further put them off education - they might even get pregnant to get out of it. :roll:

Perhaps the RN could take on the brightest 16 year olds and put them through A-levels/Highers at the same time as giving them naval training? (Had I had that opportunity I may well have opted for it.) I certainly think it would benefit everyone - the RN and its recruits.

 

[slim]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I can see the reasoning behind this thinking, however how do the government intend forcing these 16 to 18 year olds to attend. It would be nice to think this extension of education would keep the 16-18 year old Chavs off the streets, but most of them have been truanting from early teens anyway. Perhaps a good outcome will be that at least it will stop them collecting benefits until they reach the age of 18.

 

[FlagWagger]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

In today's Times (12 January 2007) it is reported that Brown, if he wins the leadership contest of the Labour Party following Blair's resignation later this year, is committed to raising the school leaving age to 18 ...

And in today's Torygraph (12 January 2007) there's a story with the headline School leaving age goes up to 18 that states it is not a proposal, but will be in force with effect from next year's secondadry school intake.

 

[sandygib]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I think it stinks. It's a ploy to keep the kids off the streets and nothing more. My lad couldn't wait to get out of the system and join up and, having been home for Christmas and had a chance to catch up with school mates who are at college, he has absolutely no regrets whatsoever. The government need to accept that todays education system fails a great many of the pupils for a variety of reasons, and they need to provide realistic alternatives, ie make aprrenticeships alot easier to find etc. Also if they are going to make education to 18 compulsory how is that going to work in certain isolated communities. Where we are in the Isles of Scilly there is no further education establishment here, our kids move to the mainland at 16 to continue their education, either boarding or in digs. To make it compulsory that they live away from home at 16 must contravene their human rights!!!!!!

 

[Standard_Bearer]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I can see the reasoning behind this thinking, however how do the government intend forcing these 16 to 18 year olds to attend. It would be nice to think this extension of education would keep the 16-18 year old Chavs off the streets, but most of them have been truanting from early teens anyway. Perhaps a good outcome will be that at least it will stop them collecting benefits until they reach the age of 18.

Your final sentence is, I think is the real reason. Leaving school at 18 means less people on the dole! So bringing down the unemployed at a stroke :twisted:

 

[slim]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I think a more sensible approach to the education problem would be to allow all children to ,leave school at age 15 if they had an offer of gainful employment. There would be a proviso that they be required attend a college of further education one day a week if they had failed to gain GCSE English and maths at grade C or above until this standard was achieved.
For those normally leaving at 16 unable to find work, they would be required to attend 3 days a week until English and Maths standards to GCSE had been attained. Those refusing would be entitled to no benefits.

 

[Passed-over_Loggie]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

Bloody barking! I don't think half the kids around here want to be in school at 16. They'd rather have a job earning money (and, incidentally, contributing to their eventual pension and current medical needs). Are they saying that the education system is in such a bad state that children need an extra 2 years to learn what they should have known at 15? Or is it that there aren't enough jobs they are educated for and that can easily be filled by migrant labour? In the meantime, the Parliamentary fu**wits are happily notching up the retirement age.

Is this the same Government that is thinking of bringing the voting age down to 16?

 

[TattooDog]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

If it only applies to formal education, then it's pretty unworkable and barking.

However, I believe it also includes work based training. If so, then I assume that any training carried out in the forces would be included.

 

[KLNA-Cessna-Jockey]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

I like Slim's last point - no education, no benefits.

Is this just another way of making bank of mum and dad continue to pay for kids for longer just to reduce the benefits, and as mentioned above the unemployment figures.

If bank of mum and dad have to pay out for longer, will we get to pay less in taxes for the money we're saving the government - Yeah right, there goes another flying pig !!!

 

[slim]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

No matter what the government what is the betting that the Chav society on permenant benefits get even more money from the tax payer?

 

[snapdragon]

Re: School leaving age may be raised to 18 by 2013... Discus

Don't like the idea of it. Yet again, society giving kids the impression that academic education is the only thing worth bothering with. Kids leave education at 18 (or 20, or 22 and so on...) and have no idea how to work. You see it in jobs that require many years of education. 3rd year medical students and junior doctors always appear to struggle with working in the way that doctors have to. I'm not saying they weren't studying hard and working hard before being employed, but it must be a shock to them to have that level of responsibility when all your life you've been taught how to learn and nothing more. Give kids a sense of worth! Teach them something worth knowing instead of giving them babysitters.