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Original poster

To think school leaving age should be 16 again

39 replies

Walkyrie · 16/05/2026 16:57

For a multitude of reasons, but primarily because there are so many children not suited to the classroom who should really be starting work but instead drift/drop out as they’re bored but too young to gain full time employment. And this is not the right start to working life.

OP posts:
kscarpetta · 16/05/2026 17:15

TenTenTenAgain · 16/05/2026 17:14

@kscarpetta a lot of these so called apprenticeships are just kids doing the same jobs as 18+ people for less money.

Yes but at least they get a qualification from it.

TenTenTenAgain · 16/05/2026 17:14

@kscarpetta a lot of these so called apprenticeships are just kids doing the same jobs as 18+ people for less money.

MissyB1 · 16/05/2026 17:13

I know a girl who did her GCSEs last summer, she has spent a year at home doing nothing, no one has knocked on her parents door to check what she’s up to.

dontwantobeneet · 16/05/2026 17:13

I believe that removing compulsory post-16 participation would probably increase inequality and reduce national skill levels unless there were strong alternative employment pathways available.

Countries with successful early-leaving systems usually have strong vocational routes, such as apprenticeships and employer training schemes, like those seen in Germany or Switzerland.

Without those systems, many young people could become disconnected from both education and employment.
People who stop education early are statistically more likely to:

  • earn lower wages
  • experience insecure employment
  • rely on part-time or temporary work
Over time, this could widen inequality and widen the gap for disadvantaged students and many may just ‘drift’.
Littletreefrog · 16/05/2026 17:13

Walkyrie · 16/05/2026 17:01

That’s great but what about kids who just want to work in a shop for a few years until they figure out what they want to do? A work ethic and basic skills in employment is learning. Not everyone knows what they want at 16

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Oh and an apprenticeship will definitely teach a work ethic and basic skills in employment just as much as a full time job would.

TenTenTenAgain · 16/05/2026 17:12

@ExtraOnions my son did the same. Making him stay in school when he had a job lined up that he wanted to do would've been pointless. And any apprenticeship opportunities were lower paid than the job he went on to do. This is the problem , the apprenticeship system seems to be set up so that kids can be cheap labour.

kscarpetta · 16/05/2026 17:10

Walkyrie · 16/05/2026 17:01

That’s great but what about kids who just want to work in a shop for a few years until they figure out what they want to do? A work ethic and basic skills in employment is learning. Not everyone knows what they want at 16

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Better for them to do some kind of training or apprenticeship then while they have the time, fewer responsibilities and the qualification is free.

aintnospringchicken · 16/05/2026 17:09

In Scotland kids can leave school at 16 and go to college,start an apprenticeship or start working. There is no legal requirement to continue in some sort of education until they are 18.

Littletreefrog · 16/05/2026 17:07

Whilst it's technically compulsory no one checks so if they really want to do absolutely no further training then they can definitely just get a job. However you don't have to know what you want to do at 16 to do an apprenticeship or further training just do something you feel like at the time. I am not doing a job I trained for at 16 and neither are any of my friends or relatives.

ExtraOnions · 16/05/2026 17:02

They can, DD went to work in Boots at 16 - nobody comes knocking on your door to check where they are.

Snorlaxo · 16/05/2026 17:02

Job training or a college course rightly counts as being at school.

My son spent 18 months very ill at age 17 and wasn’t at school or in training and there were no checks or consequences for him or me.

Cablestitches · 16/05/2026 17:02

Agree.

Theres a whole cohort of kids sort of under the radar as nobody actually does anything if they aren’t in training or education but they also can’t really access employment either

Original poster
Walkyrie · 16/05/2026 17:01

Littletreefrog · 16/05/2026 17:00

It is isn't it? My son left at 16. Yes they have to be in some sort of training until 18 but not school. My son went into an apprenticeship at 16. The youngest on the apprenticeship by 4 years but he loved it and has excelled in his field.

Show quote history

That’s great but what about kids who just want to work in a shop for a few years until they figure out what they want to do? A work ethic and basic skills in employment is learning. Not everyone knows what they want at 16

OP posts:
Littletreefrog · 16/05/2026 17:00

Walkyrie · 16/05/2026 16:57

For a multitude of reasons, but primarily because there are so many children not suited to the classroom who should really be starting work but instead drift/drop out as they’re bored but too young to gain full time employment. And this is not the right start to working life.

It is isn't it? My son left at 16. Yes they have to be in some sort of training until 18 but not school. My son went into an apprenticeship at 16. The youngest on the apprenticeship by 4 years but he loved it and has excelled in his field.