School leaving age: 16 or 18

[Friedland R]

A survey has claimed that half of people who drop out of school at 16 regret their decision later. This has been seen by some as further indication that the school leavers' age should be raised to 18.
The Learning and Skills Council research found 30% of drop-outs at the age of 16 return to education within a year, while 59% return within five years. The government has already shown its intention to increase the school leaving age to 18 by 2013. Do you think that 16 year olds should still be able to leave school if they want to? Or is it possible that, at 16, people are still not old enough to know what's best for them and so should stay at school until 18?

[sidecarjohn]

It's true that many folk regret leaving education too early, or not making the most of the opportunities available at school. However, teenagers are famed for "having all the answers", so it is unlikely they will respond to the idea of staying on. They are too busy successfully sponging off their parents, the state and anyone else who cares to cough up to consider the need for securing their future.

[saxy_jag]

When I announced to our deputy head that I intended to leave school at 16, she told me, very sagely that "girls who make that decision almost always live to regret it in later life."

Yeah, sure. I have never, for one moment, regretted my decision. Thirty years on, I am happily married (27 years), two happy, grown up kids, and in a job I love (which doesn't pay a mint, but it's enough). I have a degree and a few other qualifications, which I've enjoyed studying for immensely. Basically, I'm a happy, content little bunny.

A quick glance down the Friends Reunited page shows me that those I was at school with (who 'stayed on') are almost all in second or third marriages, or are single (ie divorced), or have finally decided to get out of their high-flying but nevertheless decidedly uninspiring careers. In short, there's not a lot of happiness among them, it seems.

[saxy_jag]

And I guess I didn't answer the question specifically.

Yes, I think people should have the choice of leaving at 16 if they want to. We don't know what's best for them any more than they know themselves.

They will not learn any more if they're forced to stay at school, and will probably learn more effectively as 'late bloomers'.

[potterfan3]

I'm in year 11 at the moment, and I intend to stay on after year 11 and do A levels. I don't like the idea of raising the age to 18 because I am kind of looking forarwd to all the chavs leaving and EMA. A bit selfish of me but �30 a week is a lot (for me) and if the chavs want to leave with their Gs and Us please please let them.

[meltoadhall]

i regret leaving at 17 and not staying on to do my a levels (scottish system), but now 20 years later i am at uni training to be a nurse and love it. if i had to have stayed until 18 and got those exams my life might have taken a completely different path
hindsight is a wonderful thing!!!

[mycats]

Well I left school at 14 and now wish I hadnt of course, I'm now 29 and did my highers at college last year.
I would like my son to stay on at school but we have agreed that if he wants to leave at 16 thats fine as long as he goes to college and does an apprenticeship and gets a trade.

[mountainboo]

I'm 25 now and left college at 17. I had absolutley no idea what I wanted to do. I couldn't do A'levels because I didn't get enough GCSE grades above C. Since then I've been in what I consider to be crap jobs.I'm just about to retake some GCSE's again and go on to do A'levels and eventually a degree as I want to become a teacher.
The current school leaving age is too young in my opinion.

[angeldraws]

I most definitely think they should have a choice - take away ANYONE's choice and you have those that will inevitably rebel, spoiling it for the rest of those who WANT to stay on and learn. It happens now and it most certainly will continue to do so if pupils do not want to stay on.
If the gov does decide to make it compulsory, then they should seperate the wheat from the chaff, so to speak, ie. those that wanna be there and those that dont. It would be interesting to see the outcome tho. My sincere commiserations to the teachers who have to put up with the results tho'.

[angeldraws]

Also, not everyone blooms (for want of a better word!) through academic study - there are those who are better off doing something manual etc.

There! Rant over......

[Delish_Babi]

I have not even left school yet but I think that 16 year olds should have the choice to leave when they want. They might regret it but they would probably run riot for not being able to make their own decsions. School should finish when we are eighteen but we should have the choice of wether or not to stay in over 16.

[-Zorro-]

I left school at 16......hated my school....too far away for a start.

I wish I had gone top college to do my Alevelsfrom 16.

Instead got a job at 17 (YTS actually)...did Alevels at nite classes 18 to 19..then went to Uni to do prof accountancy exams......loved fulltime study....wish i had done it earlier.

[-Zorro-]

as you can probably tell from my spellin and gramma...my alevels wernt in English