School leaving age raised to 17

[Ben Montgomery]

Found it on the bbc http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7595155.stm
What do we all think - is it a good idea to make kids do further education, or a bad idea because it is forcing them to stay in education (which they may hate).
For me it doesnt matter as i am already in upper sixth, but i think it is a good idea.

[AdamN]

So does this mean that all of those who want to continue in further education will have to be grouped in with the types they wanted to do away with after GCSE? One of the best things about starting sixth form was the fact that I no longer had to sit in a classroom full of chavs who'd constantly disrupt the lessons. I'll admit, at GCSE nobody's perfect, and everyone messes about to some extent (our Chemistry lessons were chaotic, but most still got Cs and above), but at A-level standard, you'd find it a lot more difficult to prat around in class and still get good grades.

[DanO1978]

You only have to look at the risible standard of English from children today (the grammar used on websites like Bebo will make you want to hack your own limbs off with a spoon) to see how far standards have fallen. In many cases though, keeping them in school until they're 30 wouldn't help. I don't think its so much the schools, but the lack of a work ethic in many of the children, stemming from the parents...

[DeanW]

Keep it as it is, the kids who don't want to be in education will just waste another year of their life, and other peoples time, otherwise. Let them get out there, get a job and do something constructive.

[Armadillos]

A stupid idea as other have already said!

Sixth form was great, didn`t have to put up with the clowns/idiots/chavs who at GCSE disrupted everything and prevented anyone from learning a thing.

To be honest its change for the sake of change nothing will be achieved except more disturbance to those who want to learn. So what are those who don`t want to be there going to do for another year?

[Ben H]

Sixth form was great, didn`t have to put up with the clowns/idiots/chavs who at GCSE disrupted everything and prevented anyone from learning a thing.

I'm starting tomorrow - I'm actually strangely looking forward to it!

[itfcscott]

Sixth form was great, didn`t have to put up with the clowns/idiots/chavs who at GCSE disrupted everything and prevented anyone from learning a thing.

Even though i have still got 3 years to go untill sixth form, i'm looking forward to not having to put up with the clowns

[Hellfire]

So does this mean that all of those who want to continue in further education will have to be grouped in with the types they wanted to do away with after GCSE? One of the best things about starting sixth form was the fact that I no longer had to sit in a classroom full of chavs who'd constantly disrupt the lessons. I'll admit, at GCSE nobody's perfect, and everyone messes about to some extent (our Chemistry lessons were chaotic, but most still got Cs and above), but at A-level standard, you'd find it a lot more difficult to prat around in class and still get good grades.

And at A-level Chemistry isn't exactly a breeze.

[Hellfire]

You only have to look at the risible standard of English from children today (the grammar used on websites like Bebo will make you want to hack your own limbs off with a spoon) to see how far standards have fallen. In many cases though, keeping them in school until they're 30 wouldn't help. I don't think its so much the schools, but the lack of a work ethic in many of the children, stemming from the parents...

I find I want to hack my own limbs off when chavs us 'a' in stead of 'I' eg. "a reeli lyk broccoli". Total head do-er

[Ben Montgomery]

You only have to look at the risible standard of English from children today (the grammar used on websites like Bebo will make you want to hack your own limbs off with a spoon) to see how far standards have fallen. In many cases though, keeping them in school until they're 30 wouldn't help. I don't think its so much the schools, but the lack of a work ethic in many of the children, stemming from the parents...

I find I want to hack my own limbs off when chavs us 'a' in stead of 'I' eg. "a reeli lyk broccoli". Total head do-er

Never heard that one myself - but then i try not to associate with chavs It seems like there are some pretty good reasons for not backing this change.

[Trevsy]

In many cases though, keeping them in school until they're 30 wouldn't help. I don't think its so much the schools, but the lack of a work ethic in many of the children, stemming from the parents...

Yep.

I'll tell you a story last year I was doing a walking tour of historical sites close to the school, an essential element for their coursework. Then at the lights as I crossed the kids over we heard beeping from the car at the lights, it was an 11 year old (who I had never taught before) who was on a fixed term suspension from school, with his Dad. Then both the child and his father leaned out of the window shouting "W?nkers" and "F?ck off" at myself, the female LSA with me and the kids crossing the road. This was followed by repeated shouted insults and obvious hand gestures, they deliberately crawled passed us to get their money's worth. What chance have you got with kids/parents like that? Keeping them till 16 in many cases is pointless, let alone 17.

[Ben Montgomery]

In many cases though, keeping them in school until they're 30 wouldn't help. I don't think its so much the schools, but the lack of a work ethic in many of the children, stemming from the parents...

Yep.

I'll tell you a story last year I was doing a walking tour of historical sites close to the school, an essential element for their coursework. Then at the lights as I crossed the kids over we heard beeping from the car at the lights, it was an 11 year old (who I had never taught before) who was on a fixed term suspension from school, with his Dad. Then both the child and his father leaned out of the window shouting "W?nkers" and "F?ck off" at myself, the female LSA with me and the kids crossing the road. This was followed by repeated shouted insults and obvious hand gestures, they deliberately crawled passed us to get their money's worth. What chance have you got with kids/parents like that? Keeping them till 16 in many cases is pointless, let alone 17.

The sad thing is that it seems to be more and more people of my generation who are becoming like this. Gives every teenager a bad name, which is definately not the case.

[DanO1978]

I'll tell you a story last year I was doing a walking tour of historical sites close to the school, an essential element for their coursework. Then at the lights as I crossed the kids over we heard beeping from the car at the lights, it was an 11 year old (who I had never taught before) who was on a fixed term suspension from school, with his Dad. .

Shouldn't the father have been at work? Or, let me guess, WE were paying for his car, petrol, Turkey Twizzlers and Lonsdale tracksuits...

I'd suggest a large part of the problem is down to workshy parents. If you don't work, then I'd imagine you lose self-respect. And how can your children respect you when you sit at home watching Jeremy Kyle and adverts for 120% APR loans all day? Part of the answer is probably to tighten the benefits system. Force them to work. But then, that will be against their "yuman rites" won't it...

[Craig]

Sadly I fear while the idea behind keeping Teenagers in education until 18 (which will ultimately happen) is a good one (to reduce the currently astronomical number of 16-18 year olds not in work or education-the next benefit generation in the main) it does risk destroying the education of those that do care. Some individuals in school are unteachable, I know from first hand experience, but these are usually balanced by some really great kids who work their socks off to do as well as they can. Unfortunately however "inclusion" is the name of the game, so even the ones who don't care you are obliged to keep working at. t can be soul destroying, but for non more than those kids in the class of whatever ability want to get on with it. By Year 11 disaffection has already set in with some pupils, and they're only turning up because they have to, and will cause trouble as much as they can, mainly out of boredom, don't want to do the work/haven't done the background stuff so little makes sense and as a result find other ways of amusing themselves. now vocational work for some of these kids is a great idea (some just aren't academically minded) and if they can be put on an electrician/builder/plasterer course etc at 16 then great, that's exactly what they need. It could work, lets not rubbish it just yet, but it will depend on how many of these pupils find their way onto the appropriate course.