Raising school leaving age not the answer

new-zealand-national-party

Tue Apr 24 2007 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Raising school leaving age not the answer

Tuesday, 24 April 2007, 12:40 am
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Katherine Rich MP
National Party Education Spokeswoman

24 April 2007

Raising the school leaving age in an attempt to curb rising teenage drop out rates is doomed to fail, says National’s Education spokeswoman Katherine Rich.

Education officials raised the matter after it was revealed only 60% of students are still at school when they turn 17.

There has been a 42% increase in the number of students granted exemptions to leave school before they turn 16 and Education Ministry papers blame the lure of youth training courses of ‘questionable academic merit’ that students can begin at age 15.

“These courses offer 15 year olds a valid excuse to drop out. The Ministry is encouraging the practise by handing out exemptions like supermarket vouchers.

“Even while these students are supposedly still enrolled at school, an alarming number are now truanting regularly, often with the endorsement of parents who feel it is their right to keep children out of school for trivial reasons.

“If our children aren’t encouraged to attend school regularly and stay as long as possible all the research suggests they will have poorer life outcomes.

“The Government must stop handing out exemptions to leave school early like they were a ‘right’. It must start taking truancy seriously by bringing convictions against the worst offenders.

“Our children have one chance to set themselves up for a productive and happy life.

“They do not need to be encouraged to throw this opportunity away by a Government that silently condones an education blighted by non-attendance and cut short by indifference.”

ENDS

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