The Right Questions on School Leaving Age

Posted on | February 4, 2008 | 2 Comments

Greg Whitby asks some of the right questions in his response to NSW plans to extend the school leaving age:

“As students returned to school this week, the State Government revealed plans for all NSW students to stay at school until 16 or possibly 18 from next year. The rationale is simple enough – a higher level of education means broader job prospects; but belies an understanding of the complex issues challenging schooling today. The answers to these complex issues are not about the age of school-leavers or how many computers a school has, but whether schools are meeting the needs of today’ learners.”

Gordon Brown would do well to read the rest of Greg’s post – he will find more wisdom here than in a whole State Room full of advisers!

Technorati Tags: greg whitby, nsw, school leaving age, gordon brown

Category: education, government, schooling

Comments

2 Responses to “The Right Questions on School Leaving Age”

Sue Waters
February 4th, 2008 @ 11:39 pm

This was brought in last year in Western Australia and each year they are raising the leaving age to ensure every child completes year 12, undertakes trades training or is employed. Definitely agree it should be about meeting the persons needs.
Greg Whitby
February 7th, 2008 @ 11:33 am

It is amazing the chords this piece hit. Most pleasing were the comments from former students reflecting on their (mostly unsatisfactory) schooling experiences. We have to listen to their voices I believe.
The biggest challenge we face is not literacy levels, data analysis or professional development – it is relevancy. Young people are dis-engaging at increasingly alarming rates. I know that Stephen Heppel says a similar thing and he is right.
Schooling has to be a part of living, not apart from living