24th September 2008

One size fits all is the mindset of most bureaucrats. Raising the school leaving age to 18 is the latest daft idea to emerge from Wellington. Presumably it's surfaced from faceless civil servants rather than Labour politicians, but the present government is embracing the idea with open arms.

Schools are facing an increasing problem with truancy, disruptive bored students and violence from over developed adolescents. When I was at school, the threat of getting whacked on the bum was enough to make you stop and think twice before stepping out of line. Respecting your elders and authority figures, was the norm in society, not any more. The ability to discipline students who ignore instruction today is limited to sending them from class, suspension and finally expelling them. For those that don't want to be there, that's fine with them and there are many who come from households where the parents hold an indifference to authority, an inability to control their offspring's behaviour or for economic reasons would rather they be in work than school.

Here's my solution to offer the "Sir Humphreys" of the Education Dept.

Keep the school leaving age at 16.

No benefits (unemployment, sickness and the like) payable to under 18 year olds.

No training fees payable for approved learning courses for under 18 year olds. Schools and Polytechs should be resourced to provide "job learning" courses outside of the recognised school curriculum for unmotivated students.

Anyone of any age should be allowed (and encouraged) to re-enrol at a high school to complete courses and qualifications at any stage of their lives without paying fees (above that charged for normal students).

Perhaps the introduction of boot camps for unmanageble students might bring back the "fear of the consequences" factor to restore discipline in schools. Society will only maintain order when the minuses of an action or decision outweigh the plusses. The pendulum has swung too far to the permissive side at present which means the correction will end up having to be draconian to be effective.

TC