Department of Education - 16-18 Legislation - Main
Introduction
To encourage all young people to recognise and benefit from, the value of lifelong learning. This could include education in school, FE college, employment, apprenticeship, training or volunteering, enabling them to progress, attain and succeed.
What is the Department of Education proposing?
Recommendation #1 of the Independent Review of Education (IRE) report was that “All learners should, by law, remain in education or apprenticeship / training until age 18. This could involve full-time education or training or spending 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering while in part-time education or training”.
The proposal is not about raising the compulsory age of school which remains at 16.
The Minister accepted this recommendation and the Department of Education wishes to consult on what this means for the young people it will impact upon together with schools, FE colleges, employers, training providers, the voluntary and community sector etc.
It is deliberate that the means of fulfilling this legislative duty by young people is broad and can be achieved through education in school, FE college, employment, training, apprenticeship or volunteering.
The IRE panel set out a detailed rationale for the proposed approach, which had a clear value in signalling the importance of lifelong learning within our society.