School leaving age may rise

[MotherBear]

School leaving age may rise
12:50PM Monday November 05, 2007

The Government is considering raising the age up to which students must stay in some kind of formal training.

However, the National Party said today that improving schooling, not making students stay on for longer, was the answer.

At present the legal school leaving age is 16 and students must seek an exemption if they wish to leave before then.

Prime Minister Helen Clark said the Government was looking at raising the age to 17, but also widening the scope of the training students would have to stay in to include trades or other skill-based learning.

"Clearly there are also other education opportunities outside the school gate for people to be training in," she said on TV One's Agenda Programme.

More here .