School Leaving Age to be raised to 18

I have watched the debate on this since the announcement was made last week.

The Times Comments, which seem to come mainly from schoolchildren and teachers, are mostly agains the idea. This one sums up the general view.

"I am a pupil at school and I want to stay on at school. But there are horrible children at my school who make not only pupil's lives a misery but also the teachers which is not a good evironment for people to be in. So this would be atrocious to keep children in education until 18 if they do not want to because they will just cause havoc.I am a pupil at school and I want to stay on at school. But there are horrible children at my school who make not only pupil's lives a misery but also the teachers which is not a good evironment for people to be in. So this would be atrocious to keep children in education until 18 if they do not want to because they will just cause havoc."

My own view is that learning opportunities should be avalable to everyone of every age. But whether schools and universities are a suitable kinds of institution to enable young people to make the most of themselves is another matter. Obviously some do well in that environment, but many flounder and then cause mischief to themselves and others around. So it seems to me that more fundamental questions need to be asked. Unfortunately, the people who do politics tend not to ask that sort of question, so it looks as if we are about to blunder into another expensive mistake.