Industry News
Raising school leaving age "necessary change"
Posted on 31st July 2007
The government's plans to raise the school leaving age to 18 is intended to usher in a cultural change in the UK, according to a Labour MP.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's PM programme, Barry Sheerman, chair of the Commons education select committee, said that the move was a "very necessary change".
Citing research by Lord Leech predicting opportunities for unskilled workers will be limited in the future, Mr Sheerman said that people should not be marginalised within society.
"So it is very urgent for the government to show real determination and the fact that we now have a department for children, schools and families is part of that determination to say that children are children until they are 18 and that children matter right through to 18," he remarked.
However, Geraldine Everett, chair of the Professional Association of Teachers, argued that raising the school age could potentially be a "minefield" if handled improperly.
According to Ms Everett, forcing children to stay on at school could lead to greater levels of truancy and "needless criminalisation" if new measures are introduced to enforce the rules.