A few young people struggle to stay on in school until the age of 16 let alone 18, and many are more than ready to leave education, or at least move on to the next level at 16. Changing the rules will not change young people's feelings towards when they want to leave, therefore, it is likely that there will be a huge rise in truancy!

Sarah, york,

There are NO options open to them, never mind high quality. The state of employment in Britain is dire. Unemployment is well above, by millions, the figure that this Government is publishing. This initiative is toothless, pointless and will cost money that we do not have. Schools are NOT doing their job as it is, so foisting hundreds of thousands of hormonally challenged 16 year olds back onto them with no REAL promise of employment at the end of it is just a really sick joke. Employers are complaining about the standards from graduates who can barely spell their own names, so what on earth do this Government think that they are going to do with kids who lack motivation, ability and are comatose on illegal substances most of the time? This Government just get more and more entertaining. God help the poor teachers who can't even get kids through GCSEs now! This lot couldn't plan a picnic in the park but I'll tell you what they will do, throw money at the problem and hope it goes away!

judy, Liverpool, england

Surely the rule should be until they have completed their course or are aged 18, whichever is the sooner? Otherwise what do you do for example, with someone whose birthday is in September or October? They have taken their exams (if any) in the summer, and so may be qualified as the Govt wishes, but are forced to return for a few weeks, wasting their time and the school's money, while seeing others who are a few days older (and who passed the age of 18 during the summer holiday) getting the job opportunities,

Why is there not to be a standard leaving date, as there currently is for those rising 16?

alexandria, Sheffield, UK