school age until 17

[rachel30b]

what do you think of the school age until 17, came in today

my son started secondary school today and loved it, but i told he need to be school or education until he is 17

what are your views on this, ive had a look on the net and cant find much info about it other than you need to be in school, traning or work with one training until you are 17

[Eire_Ade]

Hi Rachel,

I personally think its a change for the worse.

My son is one of those also starting senior school that this affects, not that I know where he is apart from being in England somewhere, but thats another story!!

I think 16 is an ok age for a young person to leave school and either make a decision to go onto further education or start work / apprenticeship.

The financial implications are deeper for the Government that they realise, they havent stopped to think of the extra years family allowance and income support for those in receipt of it, also the children that arent interested in going to school is not going to encourage them.

Also the age of consent for adult relations is 16, so does this mean there will be an increase in school preganancies, will they also be providing parking spaces for motor bikes and cars when some children are of age that they can possibly travel to school this way???

In Ireland seniors go to school until they are 18, this is far too old, to be leaving school for reasons above and also legally able to go out nightclubbing and drinking.

So basically you can say I do not agree with it.

[Eire_Ade]

Also I forgot to mention where are all of these young people going to be taught in imaginary classrooms with imaginary extra teachers???????

[DAISY]

Just shows how I keep up with current affairs. This is the first Ive heard.
How will this work in relation to the exams taken age 16? Do they do them at 17 or is this an extra year after like 6th form?

[Eire_Ade]

Hi Rach,

They want to do away with GCSE's and replace them with a diploma type exam at 17 from what I understand of it all.

[DAISY]

I am so glad I am way too old for school, an extra year would have killed me
By the time my girls are this age, leaving age could be 30 Least they could do their own school run

[Henry-flash]

Glad this isn't relevant to me.

I went back to school today, now in year 13. I am more confused than I have ever been. The entire timetable and structure of the school has changed and I have no idea where I'm meant to be and when. I feel like a year 7 again its ridiculous. We sat in the common room all day not knowing what to do, on asking teachers it seems they don't understand it either, even though they brought the new scheme into place. Mindblowing!

Sorry needed a rant

[ME SHELL]

I'm so glad I'm way way way out of it lol. I didn't even do my exams I left early. Even though I regretted that decision and went to college years later to do my exams, there was no way I would have wanted to stay in school an extra year. This is also the first time I heard about it.

Saying all that my son stayed on to do his Alevels and is off to uni in a couple of weeks. So not like me at all and quite liked school.

[Pussygalore]

people had the same reaction back in the 70's when the age went from 15 - 16 it was chaotic at first but was soon accepted as the norm, it meant that I got to do the 5th year which is what I wanted but my parents didn't my dad wanted me to go and get a job, so I at least was very pleased, the only problem I can see is that those children whose birthdays fall in september will be nearly 18 before they leave if they have to do an extra year at secondary school, does this mean they have to start college etc later or do they leave school as they would now and have to do a year elsewhere, or do they all leave school at different times when they've had their 17th birthday, are they going to have a 6th year at school? doing what? if they've taken GSCE's and aren't up to Alevels what are they going to do instead, your then looking at a new exam system such as certificates for haveing completed high school like the americans have or the GCSE's haveing to be taken later.

[sandy]

As far as I am concerned they need to start thinking of the other end of schooling 5-11yr olds.
Since they brought in the system of teaching english and maths, standards have gone down. But nobody will admit it.
They go onto the next part of a subject, reguardless of whether children have grasped the last part or not. So children have holes in their education.
I cant believe children are leaving junior school without knowing times tables, or having a reasonable standard of spelling. But I am of the old school, when we had respect for ourselves and teachers.
If they dont get a reasonable standard of education under 11 it does not fair well for their futures.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons for making children stay at school longer, so they can catch up with what they have not learnt. Not that I agree with it.