franc11s

Great, lets put all UK kids in the same box....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6254833.stm

Not sure of the real problem they are trying to fix EXCEPT to reduce the number of unemployed

BritGuyTN

so you think more education or more vocational training is a bad thing?

nonsense

at the age of 16 kids know nothing, ensuring they get a better platform for the future can only be a good thing in my book....

britvic

I think it's a good idea and if put into plan will affect my little Man upon our return I was 16 when leaving school and them were the days when you could walk straight into a job in my Parents day it was 14.

gardnma

Left at 16 too. Would have been better to be forced to stay in for two more years....

You don't know jack at 16. You think you do.....

Oh sh!t, I just became my old man.....

britvic

One minuet I was at school and had to be in at 10 every night, then the next I was working and in my Dads eyes became an adult over night and was given the house key's but in a way I did feel very grown up was working with all age groups so not such a bad thing

gardnma

So you had a somewhat decent exposure to adulthood then......

Thats really the way it should be, if you leave at 16, there should be more of a "rite of passage" at that time. Not straight down the dole queue and sitting around doing nothing. There's no incentive there to grow is there?

Not that compulsory army service is the answer either.....something in between?

britvic

It's all changed so much a lot of my mates at school had a Saturday job and upon leaving school were offered full time work we were in the Pub's getting served so we must of grown up very quickly them days.

franc11s

That's NOT what I said (I don't think). I worry about trying to PUT ALL KIDS in the same box. I left school at 15 because I couldn't learn any more. That was the right thing for me and a lot of entreprenaurs. By the time I was 18 I had 2 1/2 years of business experience behind me which taught me a lot.

There are some kids that are sponges, with great memories that can stay at school until they are 25 (some in the US do ) but there are others where the education system doesn't work and forces it to go on for longer is not the way forward..

Interesting debate.....

franc11s

Perhaps at 16, an option to go into the workplace but 1-2 days on "day release" funded by Government. You can learn so much at work becuase it's more uptodate and more real world.

More education aged 16-18 for the sake of education is not right. I'd vote for it if it was a forced Business Studies curriculum. That would help a lot.

gardnma

Didn't they used to have things like that called "apprenticeships".....?

AmerLisa

I think its a great idea!! How many 16 year olds do you know that are capable to be out in the adult employment world and fend for themselves? They're always going to be a few that aren't going to be able to benefit by extra training, but a 16 year old is not an adult (imop!) and needs the extra time to grow up.

Poppy girl

I tend to agree with you, but at 16 there was no way I wanted to soak up another 2 years I was ready for the big world,tried college and walked out after 6 months just had enough, personally I think it is up to the child and the family it should an option.

None of us knew anything at 16yrs some will quote me on this thats fine but I would of prefared to take a year or 2 out and then return guess you can't have it all.

Based on this topic which we all seem to agree upon so far why is it that even up to your middle ages,future employers still want to know your child hood educational qualifications, bull shit even at 25yrs old I was not the silly little girl I was a 16 yrs old, so why even bother putting my final exams into the equation.

Elvira

Definitely agree. That's how they do it in Germany and Switzerland, have done for decades, and it seems to work. They do proper apprenticeships, go to school one full day a week, and end up with proper trade certificates.

franc11s

2 more years of Algebra, Calculus, History and Georgraphy won't help them grow up. Look at the US - At 24 the leave college and many are still not "grown up".

I concur on 2 more years but NOT standard education... WORK / BUSINESS / EDUCATION RELATED would be my vote.

Poppy girl

Totally agree thumbs up good idea.