when did the school leaving age rise to 18
Raising of school leaving age in England and Wales There are several reasons why the government may wish to increase the school leaving age, considering it has raised the age numerous times over the 19th and 20th centuries, the last time being in 2015. With past age raisings, the reasons given have been focused mainly on generating more skilled labour by providing additional time for students to gain additional skills and qualifications. In recent years, it became apparent that most 16 to 18 year-olds have not been motivated to continue their education after completion of their GCSEs, thus increasing the overall unemployment rate given many are unable to find work.[1] The British government hoped that by making education compulsory up to the age of 17 by 2013 and 18 by 2015,[2] it could change this.[3]
School leaving qualification In England and Wales, the school-leaving qualifications awarded are either General Certificate of Education (GCE), A-Level or Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) depending on the students choice; this is after doing General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs) at the ages of 14â€“16 (year 10 and 11). In Scotland, the qualification is known as the Advanced Higher, which is preceded by the Scottish Higher. In Ireland, the qualification is the Irish Leaving Certificate.