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Drop-out teens to get extra help Drop-out teens to get extra help
(30 minutes later)
Teenagers in England at risk of leaving school without going into jobs or further education are to be assigned special counsellors. The government is promising to sharply reduce the number of teenagers in England outside of work, education or training - currently 206,000.
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. The Schools Secretary, Ed Balls, has warned that teenage drop-outs without qualifications or training will be left behind by changes in the jobs market.
This week's Queen's Speech will include a bill to raise the education leaving age from 16 to 18. The Queen's Speech on Tuesday will include plans to raise the school leaving age in England from 16 to 18.
The benefits system will also be changed to discourage dropping out. An extra 90,000 apprenticeships will also become available.
The government wants to tackle the longstanding problem of teenagers leaving school and then failing to find a job or training. "In today's fast changing, dynamic world, everyone needs skills to prosper," Mr Balls told the Fabian Society in a speech on Monday.
Apprenticeships "And the days where many people could leave school at 16 without qualifications and work their way up into a fulfilling and rewarding career are behind us."
International comparisons show that the UK has one of the worst records in the industrialised world for the proportion of 16 year olds dropping out of education and training. 'Neet' answers
The plans to be outlined by the government for England are designed to provide more incentives to stay in education and training - and to introduce disincentives for leaving. International comparisons show that the UK has one of the worst records in the industrialised world for the proportion of 16-year-olds dropping out of education and training.
The government's answer outlined today is part carrot, part stick BBC political editor Nick Robinson class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nickrobinson/2007/11/a_neet_problem.html">Read Nick's thoughts in full The leaving age for education will be raised to 18 - with the threat of fines or community service from 2013 for non-compliance. STAYING ON 81.5% of 17-year-olds in education or training1.2m 16-17-year-olds in full-time education248,000 in work without training138,500 in work-based learning206,000 not in work, education or training
And it is expected that there will be tighter restrictions on claiming benefits for those who have not been in education or training. And the problem of "Neets" (not in education, employment or training) has been stubbornly resistant to initiatives - currently a higher proportion of the age group now than when the Labour government came to power in 1997.
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". The proportion of these workless, untrained youths surged in the mid-1980s, reflecting high rates of unemployment.
They will be assigned counsellors to offer them advice about their future plans. But despite improvements in the labour market and repeated drives to raise secondary school standards, the problem of Neets remained throughout the 1990s - and has seen an underlying increase since the late-1990s.
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. The government's latest strategy to reduce the number of Neets is a combination of carrot and stick.
Flexibility There will be more support for training - with more apprenticeships and an expansion of the educational maintenance allowance, which provides means-tested financial support to teenagers attending courses.
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. The current offer of a place in education or training for all 16-year-olds will be extended to 17-year-olds.
Personalised advice will be available from counsellors for those considered to be at risk of dropping out.
There will also be an attempt to make further education courses more flexible - with students able to begin in January as well as September.
Leaving age
The leaving age for education will be raised, initially to 17 by 2013 and then to 18 by 2015 - with the threat of fines or community service for non-compliance.
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 Send us your commentsHAVE 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 Send us your comments
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. The benefits system will also be changed to discourage young people from remaining as "long-term Neets".
"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. Outside of employment and often with few qualifications, these teenagers have been linked to a cycle of disadvantage and social problems.
"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." This group has been difficult to reach - and Mr Balls says there is a need for more systematic intervention for such youngsters.
"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," said Mr Balls.
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.