[Carey]

What's the earliest age students can leave school? One of the schools we're looking at says many students leave without any qualifications to take up local employment. Does that mean the students who choose to stay in school tend to be well motivated ?

[nickydwuk]

From what I have read, all pupils sit NCEA 1 in year 11. After that they can choose to stay on for years 12 & 13 &do NCEA's 2 &3 or they can leave and work or dowhatever. It is not compulsory at the moment but there are runmblings that it may be compulsory for pupils to stay on until they are 18. This is just rumour.

[willsken]

I'm pretty sure they have to stay in school until they are 16. Many come back even if they aren't well motivated, as life is still easier there than getting a job! :roll

[Asli&Mark]

I am sure many of you including Mark (my OH) wouldn't agree on that but I think it is good them staying at the school till they are 16 and I think 18 would even be better.

[JandM]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10474050

The school leaving age is 16. There has been inconclusive discussion about raising it.

You absolutely can't generalize about groups of school pupils. Within the same school, and without any great upheaval in the area its pupils come from, the nature of year-groups can vary hugely. Sometimes you can pinpoint a reason, such as, 'Well, X is such a strong character that the others are reacting for or against him,' or you'll think, 'We seem to have an unusually high number of really intelligent children this year,' or, 'These people are mostly the sporting type,' etc. etc., and as they're the same age, they've all landed up together. Other times, you can't put your finger on any reason why, but that particular lot are a delight - or trouble - as they go through school.

All of which boils down to saying that the Year 12s and 13s at the school you're looking at MIGHT be motivated, or MIGHT be out for the easy option, like Willsken suggests. The only way to get any kind of honest idea is to talk to people locally. If you say what school you're wondering about, maybe someone on the forum will be able to tell you something?

[JandM]

I am sure many of you including Mark (my OH) wouldn't agree on that but I think it is good them staying at the school till they are 16 and I think 18 would even be better.

Teaching adolescents and young adults can be tough, due to the social and emotional pressure of their lives, even when they want to know whatever your subject is. I wouldn't want to be doing that, and at the same time playing policeman to keep 2/3 of a roomful of people there who only came because the law said they had to. There has been talk of raising the school leaving age to 18 in the UK as well, with cynics saying it's to cut down the bad-looking figures on youth unemployment and benefit claims. In my view, any country that does raise the age will need to take effective steps to separate out those who genuinely wish to go on with their education, or that education will NOT be able to be of the proper standard because of the distractions caused by the schools having to cope with the unwilling Year 12s and 13s.

[Asli&Mark]

playing policeman to keep 2/3 of a roomful of people there who only came because the law said they had to. There has been talk of raising the school leaving age to 18 in the UK as well, with cynics saying it's to cut down the bad-looking figures on youth unemployment and benefit claims. In my view, any country that does raise the age will need to take effective steps to separate out those who genuinely wish to go on with their education, or that education will NOT be able to be of the proper standard because of the distractions caused by the schools having to cope with the unwilling Year 12s and 13s.

Hello JandM,

See that is the part I didn't even think about the only thing I thought with saying that they would get to learn more :)

[JandM]

Well, there's nothing like having been in the kitchen to know how hot it gets in there!

[willsken]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10474050

The school leaving age is 16. There has been inconclusive discussion about raising it.

You absolutely can't generalize about groups of school pupils. Within the same school, and without any great upheaval in the area its pupils come from, the nature of year-groups can vary hugely. Sometimes you can pinpoint a reason, such as, 'Well, X is such a strong character that the others are reacting for or against him,' or you'll think, 'We seem to have an unusually high number of really intelligent children this year,' or, 'These people are mostly the sporting type,' etc. etc., and as they're the same age, they've all landed up together. Other times, you can't put your finger on any reason why, but that particular lot are a delight - or trouble - as they go through school.

All of which boils down to saying that the Year 12s and 13s at the school you're looking at MIGHT be motivated, or MIGHT be out for the easy option, like Willsken suggests. The only way to get any kind of honest idea is to talk to people locally. If you say what school you're wondering about, maybe someone on the forum will be able to tell you something?

I really don't want to see the leaving age go up. In a school you will always get well motivated pupils and those who really don't want to do any work at all. When these pupils come back in year 12 you look at them and think "what on earth are they doing back in school" as they didn't do a jot of work in year 11. When you talk to them, they are either forced to stay on by a parent or they really don't want to get a full time job or, and this happens where I am now, they love the sport side of school life. Maybe they play rugby for the school and don't want to stop playing. I think these kids should have to do work in the classroom to be able to stay on but if they are a valued member of a school sports team, there is always pressure to let them play in order for the school to win.

[oldest]

And there is always the hope that those youngsters who performed poorly at age 16, may find they are rather shaken up by the experience. With their gained maturity may well try a bit harder at ages 17 or 18 and leave education with more qualifications than they might have done, leaving at 16 after their initial failings. Of course, this is an idealistic view of things, but to me, if staying in education until age 18 gives some a second chance it is worth it. I do believe there should be more vocational alernatives than are currently on offer however. Academic subjects just do not suit every individual, no matter how well they are presented or taught.

[willsken]

And there is always the hope that those youngsters who performed poorly at age 16, may find they are rather shaken up by the experience. With their gained maturity may well try a bit harder at ages 17 or 18 and leave education with more qualifications than they might have done,


Academic subjects just do not suit every individual, no matter how well they are presented or taught.

Completely agree and some do just that. If however, 6 weeks into the school year a pupil that has come back isn't working any harder, then they should be asked to leave. It just isn't fair to the students that want to work to be in a class with someone disruptive when, by law, they don't have to be there.

I also agree with you about the vocational course. They are sadly lacking and I really believe would help some kids achieve far more that they do in an academic setting. More money needed from the government..... not much chance of that is there? :no