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'At risk' teens to get extra help Drop-out teens to get extra help
(about 1 hour later)
Teenagers in England at risk of leaving school without going into jobs or further education are to be assigned special counsellors.Teenagers in England at risk of leaving school without going into jobs or further education are to be assigned special counsellors.
The government is concerned at the drag on the economy caused by more than 200,000 "Neets" - those not in education, employment or training. The government is concerned at the drag on the economy caused by more than 200,000 "Neets" - those youngsters not in education, employment or training.
This week's Queen's Speech will include a bill to raise the education leaving age from 16 to 18.This week's Queen's Speech will include a bill to raise the education leaving age from 16 to 18.
It will be backed by a threat of fines or community service - but not prison. The benefits system will also be changed to discourage dropping out.
By 2013, the penalties will apply to youngsters who do not comply with a new legal requirement to stay on in education and training. The government wants to tackle the longstanding problem of teenagers leaving school and then failing to find a job or training.
But the Association of Colleges is warning ministers that enforcement will not be possible until local authorities' registration systems are able to identify the young people involved. Apprenticeships
"We are concerned that the current IT systems may not be ready for the task of registration," the association said. International comparisons show that UK has one of the worst records in the industrialised world for the proportion of 16 year olds dropping out of education and training.
"A clear statutory framework is needed in the legislation but the policy should be to use it sparingly until the IT systems are in place." The plans to be outlined by the government are designed to provide more incentives to stay in education and training - and to introduce disincentives for leaving.
The leaving age for education will be raised to 18 - with the threat of fines or community service from 2013 for non-compliance.
And it is expected that there will be tighter restrictions on claiming benefits for those who have not been in education or training.
There will be an attempt to identify at an early age those youngsters who, through drug or alcohol misuse or pregnancy, might become part of the "Neets culture".
They will be assigned counsellors to offer them advice about their future plans.
There will also be an expansion in the number of apprenticeships available - with an additional 90,000 places on top of the existing 150,000.
FlexibilityFlexibility
The government's strategy aims to identify at an early age those youngsters who, through drug or alcohol misuse or pregnancy, might become part of the Neets culture. And there will be a more flexible approach to when youngsters can start courses, with plans for more to be available from January for those who failed to register in September.
They will be assigned counsellors who will attempt to point them in the right direction. HAVE YOUR SAY Until the kids see hope and a change in society, you can keep them in school till they are 65 - it won't make an ounce of difference Gary Higgins, Liverpool, UK class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3777&edition=1">Send us your comments
HAVE YOUR SAY Until the kids see hope and a change in society, you can keep them in school till they are 65 - it won't make an ounce of difference Gary Higgins, Liverpool, UK class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=3777&edition=1">Send us your comments Other aspects of the strategy include making learning more flexible, by allowing those over 16 to register for college courses after the start of the autumn term. In a speech to the Fabian Society in London, Mr Balls emphasised the importance of changing attitudes towards the importance of education for this age group.
And the so-called September guarantee will be extended to those aged 17. "We need to start now by engendering a culture change in young people, their parents and the education and employment system through creating the balance of rights and responsibilities that underpin a higher compulsory leaving age," said Mr Balls.
The guarantee involves schools and councils having to ensure they make pupils aware of their post-16 opportunities before they leave school. "We need to intensify support so that long-term Neets are offered a way back into work or education. I look forward to a time when no young person will be long-term Neet."
The Conservatives argue that the age group in question should be those aged 16 to 24.The Conservatives argue that the age group in question should be those aged 16 to 24.
This would mean there were more than a million Neets.This would mean there were more than a million Neets.