It looks like the school leaving age in England is going to be raised to 18 by 2013.

Apparently, this is to mop up the 18% of children that don’t currently go on to further education because 82% of kids going on to college and university isn’t acceptable.

Frankly, I’m astonished that 82% of kids go on to further education.  Who are the 18% that don’t?  Do they want to go on to further education or do they have jobs lined up in a family firm, no desire to continue education or perhaps they simply don’t have the necessary mental capacity to do further education.

The Chancellor is already trying to decide the best way to make us save 50% of our gross annual income because he’s already spent our pensions blowing up Afghanistan and Iraq and so many OAP’s are living to an inconveniently old age that the drain on our taxes has reached the critical point where the retirement age has had to be increased to keep the baliffs from reposessing Downing Street.  It is astonishing that the British government should now plan to add an even greater burden on the taxpayer by forcing 16 year olds to stay on in education for an extra 2 years against their will.

Kids currently spend a minimum of 11 years at school, most spend 12.  In 6 years time we’re going to see kids spending 14 years of their lives in compulsary education.  Will boarding schools be required to provide married quarters for childhood sweathearts who decide to get married at 16 or will the minimum age for getting married be increased to make sure you don’t end up with married couples spending double Science arguing about who’s cooking the dinner when they get home from school and why they have to have the mother-in-law round for Sunday dinner that weekend?  What about couples who decide to start a family at 16?  It’s perfectly legal – will schools start providing crêche facilities?  Who will pay for them?  Will 16 year old girls be entitled to maternity leave from school?  What about the benefits that will be paid out to these people who have a family at 16 but can’t work because they have to go to school until they’re 18?  Ok, so most 16 year old parents would rather laze around on benefits rather than get a job but not all of them do.  Upping the age you can get married to 18 won’t work either.  You need your parents consent to get married at 16 or 17 in England now but there’s nothing to stop you going to Scotland and getting married at 16 without your parents permission because the law is different there.