Telegraph:
Government plans to force teenagers to remain in education or training until 18 will be the ‘nail in the coffin for entrepreneurship’, a leading businessman has warned.
The move will punish bright pupils who leave school at the earliest chance to start their own businesses, said Adam Hildreth, the Confederation of British Industry’s former young entrepreneur of the year.
Mr Hildreth, who made millions inventing a child protection programme for computers, said school-leavers should have the ‘flexibility’ to choose between school and the workplace.
He was speaking as the Government announced a shake-up of the school year - and a major expansion of on-the-job apprenticeships - in preparation for raising the education leaving age to 18 by 2013.
Truanting teenagers will face a so-called ‘education Asbo’, £50 fines and tougher benefit rules in a move designed to cut the 200,000 young people who are currently unemployed and not training for work.
Britain has one of the worst staying-on rates beyond the age of 16 in the developed world.
Last year, there were 105,701 16 and 17-year-olds not in education or employment and a further 85,184 in full-time work without any training.
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[…] MrMoney placed an observative post today on Forced Education ‘Will Punish Entrepreneurs’.Here’s a quick excerpt:He was speaking as the Government announced a shake-up of the school year - and a major expansion of on-the-job apprenticeships - in preparation for raising the education leaving age to 18 by 2013. Truanting teenagers will face a … […]