Raising of school leaving age in England and Wales
| Initial | 1870 |
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| Latest | 2015 |
| Related Acts: |
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| See raising of school leaving age for worldwide overview | |
The raising of school leaving age (shortened to ROSLA) is the name given by the Government to refer to changes regarding the legal age a child is permitted to leave compulsory education, usually falling under an Education Act. In most countries, the school leaving age often reflects when young people are seen to be mature enough within their society, but not necessarily when they are old enough to be regarded as an adult.
In England and Wales, this age has been raised numerous times since the introduction of compulsory education in 1870. On 1 September 1972, the age was raised from 15 to 16, following preparations which began 8 years earlier in 1964. This increased the legal leaving age from 15 to 16, leaving a gap year of school leavers who, by law, had to complete an additional year of education from 1973 onwards.
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. The British government hoped that by making education compulsory up to the age of 17 by 2013 and 18 by 2015, it could change this.
Prior to the 19th century, there were very few schools. Most of those that existed were run by the church, for the church, stressing religious education. In the latter part of the 19th Century, compulsory attendance at school ceased to be a matter for local option, with the introduction of the Elementary Education Act 1870 a milestone in the British school education system. Children had to attend between the ages of 5 and 10 though with some local discretion such as early leaving in agricultural areas.
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