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Secondary education

Connect with other parents whose children are starting secondary school on this forum.

Original poster

New government law for 16 year olds

37 replies

melrob62 · 07/02/2014 22:18

What does everyone think of the new laws introduced which means 16 year olds finishing school this year will have to stay in some sort of education until they are 18?

OP posts:
Dreamgirls234 · 07/02/2014 22:21

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tiggytape · 07/02/2014 22:33

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KatyMac · 07/02/2014 22:35

I'm more concerned about the ones that have to stay in formal education until they get English & Maths; for some children this is prolonging the agony & won't achieve anything

wannabestressfree · 07/02/2014 22:38

Katy they don't....
If they get a D or just miss the D they do gcse resit. If there is no chance of passing or they are particularly weak they do functional skills in the subject.

KatyMac · 07/02/2014 22:42

Oh thank goodness - it was upsetting me. I took 3 goes to get my O level English & tbh I was near the end of my tether; if I'd had to keep on & on at it I'd have had a break down

I wish there were more realistic options for teenagers; I think I said on MN before I'd quite like them all to leave at 14 and do mind numbingly awful jobs for 4 years or so, then start them back with free education and see how they did then. I do feel that education can be wasted on teens who don't value it then when they have a a change of heart it's almost impossible to 'get back in'

KatyMac · 07/02/2014 22:43

Of course is that had happened my daughters career path would have been completely stuffed but....

tiggytape · 07/02/2014 22:45

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plum100 · 07/02/2014 22:46

I thought the kids that leave this year just have to sty on for 1 yr - two years from school leavers next year- hve i got that wrong? X

Original poster
melrob62 · 07/02/2014 22:49

Yeah agree with you Katy, my son does not want to go to college, at the moment he doesn't really know what to he wants to do and I think spending another year at college just plodding along is not going to do him any good.

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Original poster
melrob62 · 07/02/2014 22:51

Plum, I thought the same but according to info on ukgov kids who started year 11 in 2013 will have to stay in education until they are 18.

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tiggytape · 07/02/2014 22:54

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Original poster
melrob62 · 07/02/2014 23:01

tiggytape, would they be able to carry on with their education by doing home study online?

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tiggytape · 07/02/2014 23:06

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tiggytape · 07/02/2014 23:09

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Original poster
melrob62 · 07/02/2014 23:12

Thanks tiggytape, that sounds better and puts my mind at rest. I was really worried with the repercussions would be.

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CouthyMow · 07/02/2014 23:23

My DD has SN's, and without spending an additional 2-3 years in vocational training, would be unemployable. She's just got a place on a Catering NVQ course with SN help. We think...

If she doesn't get on this, though, I'm screwed!

(Will have no money to feed her, and her Maths skills aren't high enough to get employment anywhere yet.)

CouthyMow · 07/02/2014 23:27

KatyMac - I actually AGREE with continuing English and Maths. If they didn't insist on it, my DD would leave school at 16, functionally innumerate IMO (heading for a 'G' grade at GCSE, with mucho additional support over the years in Maths. A G grade seems to equate to having Maths skills lower than the average 9yo...)

It is a necessity to continue with it. DD will never get a C grade in Maths - but any improvement on her current Maths skills will be SO important to her.

CouthyMow · 07/02/2014 23:29

Current Y11's have to stay for two years. DD's course will be at least a 3 year one. (Is intended to be a 3 year course, but pace can be slowed for the individual, so may take 4 years for DD.)

At the end of it, she will have a trade, and be able to gain employment.

KatyMac · 07/02/2014 23:31

But is GCSE Maths the best target for her? DH did a functional skills course at 55 which was much more practically based and far more use to him on a day to day level

CouthyMow · 07/02/2014 23:34

Thing is, it IS going to be difficult for parents on IS / JSA / ESA - if the young adult (which is what they are, post 16) refuses to do any sort of training, then the parent will lose all their CTC, Child Benefit for that child, will also lose their 25% Council Tax discount, AND lose a portion of their housing benefit.

Unlike in previous years, there will be NO PROVISION for that young adult to claim JSA.

So if you have a school refuser, who refuses to continue in education or training, then you will have NO income with which to feed that young adult.

How many of you are able to literally DRAG a 16/17yo to College daily?! And stop them from being disruptive etc, so that they get themselves kicked out?!

CouthyMow · 07/02/2014 23:36

We are debating this currently - it depends whether she can get her grade to an F before her exams. F = retake GCSE Maths, G = Functional skills, at DD's College. An F IS now a possibility, as DD has dropped another GCSE last week, is only doing 7 now, and is using the extra time to do more 1-2-1 work in Maths with an LSA, so an extra 2 hrs a week 1-2-1.

She only has 15 marks to find across the 2 Maths papers to scrape an F...

She would see that F as a MASSIVE achievement.

starballbunny · 07/02/2014 23:37

Given how underfunded FE collages have always been and the cuts to sixth form collages I can see a lot of DCs having no where to go.

Who is actually going to check every 16-18 is actually getting the training promised.

I fear many vulnerable DC will fetch up working in very poorly paid jobs while not bothering to attend unsuitable training.

Given the choice of 1/2 a days extra wages under the counter and £5 bus fare to sit in collage I know what lots of DCs will choose.

TrampledUnderfoot · 07/02/2014 23:40

I think some of the training will be crap and will just give some employers cheap labour.

tiggytape · 07/02/2014 23:47

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starballbunny · 07/02/2014 23:48

You can't drag a 17 to collage and round here that collage is 13 or 20 miles away. We have bugger all public transport and 16-18 aren't eligible for free bus passes any way.

I just cannot see DCs who hated school, turning up to do maths and English lessons on day release.

It's just going to end up with the poorest, often single mothers, paying for DCs who should be ether in work or able to claim befits in their own right.

Encouraging and helping all 16-18y to stay in education is one thing, forcing them, by sentencing their mothers and younger siblings to deeper poverty if they don't is wrong.