I’ve just fired off this email to the British Department for English Education. It follows on from a previous missive I sent to them on the subject back in 2007.
Some time ago I wrote to you asking how the change to school leaving ages in England was going work.
In particular I’m interested to know what a Welsh or Scottish person who leaves school at 16 and moves to England is going to do about the fact that they’ve finished their secondary education but would be required to complete a further year or two of secondary education in England because they’re only 16. A Welsh or Scottish person of 16 or 17 years of age will effectively be barred from taking a job in England when the change comes into force.
There is also the reverse situation where a 16 year old moves from England to Wales or Scotland and there is nowhere to complete their secondary education.
The response I got from you didn’t offer any explanation as to how these situations would be handled but merely expressed a hope that Wales and Scotland would follow the British government’s lead and raise the age for mandatory secondary education to match that in England. Clearly this isn’t going to happen otherwise it would have been announced by now so please can you explain how these scenarios will be handled in future?
Besides, if those kids don’t want to be there they will ruin for those that do.
I knew that education was devolved for all UK countries but I didn’t know thw schoo leaving age would be raised in one country and not the others. My children attend schools in Wales and I have heard nothing yet. We’re not far from the English border. I hope we will not be put in a ridiculous situation. Can someone explain what is happening?