Students must stay at school until 18

The Government today revealed it is raising the age young people can leave school to 18 _ unless they are in some other form of education or training.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said about 30 per cent of young people left school before their 17th birthday and 40 percent left without at least an NCEA level two qualification.
"Around half our current workforce does not have the education and skills needed to function fully in a knowledge economy," she said.
She also announced the roll-out of an extensive new youth apprenticeship scheme across the schooling system in a bid to keep more young people in education and training. Miss Clark made her announcements at a business breakfast in Henderson, Auckland, this morning.
But her proposal to lift the school leaving age up from the present 16 has been criticised by two prominent Western Bay principals, who predict the plan to keep students in school until age 18 will never work.
The policy vastly extends what is to be piloted this year in 10 schools _ one of which is Te Puke High School _ in a bid to bring the world of work and school closer together. The policy is expected to cost more than $150 million a year.
The scheme allows Youth Apprenticeships students _ as young as 14 _ to gain NCEA credits, work towards a tertiary, industry or trades-based qualification and get a head start on an apprenticeship while still at school.
Tauranga Boys' College principal Graham Young said 10 years ago the Government changed the leaving age from 15-years to 16-years and it made little difference.
"It had no significant impact just by making it compulsory. There has to be deterrents and barriers, i.e. you can't get a benefit if you leave, and carrots to encourage _ making education free to anyone aged up to 18-years."
Mr Young said secondary school was still not the right learning environment for all teens.
"If you don't make a commitment to learning, the country is in a sad state. Our economic prosperity relies on the knowledge of the people but I don't think compulsion is the right way to achieve anything."
Otumoetai College principal Dave Randell called the announcement "ludicrous".
He said most of his Year 13 students were only 17-and-a-half when they graduated anyway and the Government had already made it tough for early leavers to exit secondary school.
A clampdown on early leaving exemptions in 2007 meant students now had to get an official sign-off from the Education Ministry after first getting permission from their principal _ which wasn't easily granted.
Schools already did their best by "reluctant learners" and provided programmes such as Gateway and Instep, enabling students to remain in school, get outside training, and receive time out, Mr Randell said.
"Four walls and bells ringing are not for everyone. Compelling young people to remain at school until they are 18 is not going to achieve anything. They will just rebel in compulsion," he said.
Miss Clark's announcements this morning follow a major speech by National leader John Key yesterday addressing a similar theme _ including a get-tough policy on bad youths.
He announced a Youth Guarantee entitlement for school leavers to limited free training or education courses _ a policy he estimates will cost $100 million a year. But much of his speech focused on youth crime and punishment policy. The participation levels of young people in education or training has been of concern to the Government.
Ministry of Education figures show that in 2006, 29 per cent of school students had left school before their 17th birthday.