British school leaving age rises to 17

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7595155.stm

Children starting secondary schools in England this week will be the first to be legally required to stay in education until they are 17.

The rise in the age at which pupils can end their studies is just one of several changes taking effect in English schools this term.

New diplomas for subjects such as engineering and construction are also being phased in.

Head teachers say too many initiatives are being introduced at once.

The increase in the school leaving age is the first such change since 1972, when it was raised from 15 to 16.

There are also major changes to the curriculum for 11 to 14-year-olds and to GCSEs and A levels. The latter will have a new A* grade to help distinguish the very best exam candidates.

But the head of the Association of School and College Leaders, has warned that too much change is happening all at once.

The rise in the leaving age is part of a previously announced government policy to have pupils continue their education to the age of 18. This will take effect for school leavers from 2015.

As an interim step the age will rise to 17 from 2013 - the year in which those pupils starting secondary level education this week would otherwise have expected to be able to leave school.

The change will not mean that pupils have to stay in the classroom, but they will have to continue to receive training.

The changes have been introduced because ministers estimate there are some 200,000 young people aged between 16 and 18 who are not in education or training.

The government says this is unacceptable if the UK is to successfully compete in global business markets.

Meanwhile, there have already been problems with maintenance allowances worth up to £30 a week for 17-year-olds.

Tens of thousands of teenagers have not received their money yet because of computer problems.

And new welfare guidelines including 69 "learning goals" for the under-fives have come into force in England.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets out expected standards of care in registered childcare settings.

How does everybody else feel about this?

EDIT: The realisation that I misnamed this thread comes only now.

This post has been edited by Damuna on Sep 2 2008, 09:30 PM

A large collection of idiotic ideas all in one place, is what I think

Yeah, me too. I don't see how the government are going to endear themselves to those who choose (for the most part) to be out of training and education by forcing them to stay at school another year, especially when it probably wouldn't be worth any more than the current qualifications.
GSCE qualifications are worthless in their own right, anyway...you get taught useful basics, but they won't get you any job worthy of mention, for that, you have to go to university or get into some apprenticeship of sorts.

Uhh... I was finished school at the age of 16

That'd suck to have to do another grade just to fill in time

Well America seems to be ahead by the years the standard age limit for highschool is 18 your senior year.

Yeah, that's all well and good... but I live in Australia =)

And I'm going to be finished a year of uni before I'm 18 - being born in December sucks, royally.

Now, is y'all's Christmas in December also, or is it in July??

I don't think Americans are so much ahead by keeping kids in school til they are 18. I just think that our education system takes that much longer to get them somewhat ready enough for life without the parents, and still, most are not ready then!!

I think there are more political reasons for the school system to end it at 18, first, you can't join the military before you're 18, secondly you can't vote until your 18, I assume that the public school system would rather end it when people are of the age to vote. Or something like that.

That's one theory, but if they can change the age of graduation, they can change the other things, too!!

We can leave school at 16... we can drive at 17... we can buy grog at 18... ya'll just living in the past up there.

Australia. A nation of wanna-be pirates.

hehe America takes things way too seriously, we never do grow up, it's like never never land over here.

Sleeping in a paedophile's bed?

Sleeping in a paedophile's bed?

Not exactly, all jokes aside why must everyone associate maturity with young age? We take things way to seriously in America, we're afraid of letting the population grow out at a young age, then after we've grown out of those years we never experience the pain and hard work of real life, thus we're still clinging to the nest and it's very hard to push yourself out at that age.

Australia. A nation of wanna-be pirates.

Wanna-be? Dems fighting words.