Brown’s School Leaving Age 18

[John]

This puts pay to any unemployment for the 16 - 18 years old group.

But in reality, even more security will be needed in Schools given the frustration
of some being kept there against their will.

No more Boy Soldiers or sending the under 18’s to the front line as Blair did.

With at least 10 percent of the British Armed Forces being Foreign Nationals.

I suppose we could recruit more to fill the 16 - 18 year old gap...

[Wrinkles]

Ah! but you forget, What a great way to cut the unemployment figures and  a huge saving on job seekers allowance. (Ok they will pay out some on the £30 "stay at school and get paid" allowance)
Then there is Education, education, education, "We must be delivering on our promises, look how many kids are staying in school", Then of course they, having decimated the army by poor kit, poor pay, poor conditions and over work, they could re-introduce National service, start some more wars and the unemployment figures are slashed again. You have to hand it to Gordon he, with help from uncle Peter is a master at taking us to the cleaners.


OH! sorry is my cynicism showing?

[Papaumau]

And then we have The NEETS......

What's a NEET I hear you say ?

They are young people who are left school who are not in education or  training or work and the numbers of these youngsters is rising by the day.

Although I am sure that any government that really wanted to do something about this situation could do a lot more than this one is doing, I would really hope that those that stay on at school and get a small income for doing it might finish up with better qualifications than those that don't.

With almost all of the manufacturing sector going abroad in "rationalisation" or "outsourcing" moves I cannot see Britain being able to find work for even half of the kids that are coming out of secondary education with a few "A"s never mind the ones that are not all that bright.

I do not think that the solution to this problem is one that any of us would like to try to present.