Raising the education leaving age

In March the education secretary Alan Johnson set out ambitions for all young people to remain in education or training until their 18th birthday. If adopted, the plans would take effect in 2013 and Mr Johnson claims they would better equip young people for the world of work.

Consultation on the Raising expectations green paper on post-16 education closes on June 14th. To encourage debate, politics.co.uk publishes a series of exclusive articles, exploring the issues behind the green paper.

Barry Sheerman, Labour MP and chair of the Commons education and skills select committee, tells politics.co.uk that young people not in education are one of the biggest social problems facing a modern government. Mr Sheerman has tabled his own private members' bill, which he says will further ensure young people leave education with the necessary skills to begin work.

Writing for politics.co.uk, the shadow education secretary David Willetts warns increasing the length of time young people spend in education will not alone improve skills, pointing out that many already leave at 16 without the necessary qualifications. The government must instead target underachievement at all stages and ensure post-16 education leads to qualifications to improve young people's employability, he writes.

Sarah Teather, the Liberal Democrat's education secretary, says the government should use the debate to launch a far-reaching reform of the national curriculum, claiming many young people are bored and dissatisfied by 16. Writing for politics.co.uk, she says the government should introduce a modern British Diploma system, combing vocational and academic learning.

Bill Rammell, minister for high education and lifelong learning, tells politics.co.uk raising is part of the government's wider strategy to improve young people's skills and meet the demands of a changing economy.