This is the stupidest idea, i've heard since drugs prohibition. The government needs to learn to respect the civil liberties of all people regardless of their age. Children are not animals for government to use as they wish. The school leaving age should be lowered to 14, not raised to 18.

Edward, London, England

As someone who was already intending to stay in school up to age 18 I think this is completely ludicrous. It is horribly unfair for Gordon Brown's government to attempt to control a decision which will affect the rest of a person's life, especially when it is only to win a game of international one-upmanship using their figures. This is a personal decision, not a problem which can be legislated away.
Having said that, people my age don't seem to listen to experience enough, so please, please, please, persuade away! Provide us with the facts on why it is better to stay in school, encourage us to stay on, but the government needs to remember that YOUNG ADULTS have the right to control their own futures, for better or for worse.

TK, London,

This is simply more legislation from a legislation-mad government. It seems odd that at a time when it is recognised that government intervention does not work, and legislative intervention (i.e. threatening to criminalise people) can be counter-productive. Stop telling children and their parents what is best for them. My children go to a Waldorf Steiner school because it doesn't aim to crush the human spirit, it doesn't force the effects of testing, exams, and other teacher supports onto the child. Nor does it impress upon the child that they must be 'successful' in life by doing training and then becoming a wage slave. This decision will leave millions of children even more traumatised: My own experience at school was hell and the day I left (my 16th birthday) was one of the happiest of my life. I didn't get 'training', I made my way in life, joined the army, and then went to uni when I was ready (I now have a masters and phd). Children go to school for education not social control!

Alex, Smith, Herefordshire

A typical politician's answer to a problem - "I'll wave my hand and legislate it away"!

Unfortunately, Gordon Brown has never lived in the real world - ever! His predecessor was just as bad with his "50% graduates" target.

You can educate all you like but you cannot legislate to educate.

KR, Stockport,

I was teaching in Coventry during the 70's, with the mass unemployment of school leavers as a result of the collapse of the motorcar industry there.
At this time when there were no jobs, most 16-19 year olds stayed on at school/college, full time/part-time.
Indeed the government of the day was touting the idea of raising the school leaving age.
But then there were more jobs...YTS, and so on , and the idea was dropped.
So if there are jobs, then raising the school leaving age ?????

J.Kelvyn Richards, Trikala, Greece

I am the mother of an intelligent 17 year old, who left school having completed his GCSE's with good grades but without a job. I tried to make him go back to school to study but he dropped out. The school could not force him to stay and neither could I.
He has spent a year dithering about not knowing what to do with himself, he is unmotivated. I have tried all sorts of things to try to inspire him. I have tried tempting him with college and apprenticeships, all to no avail.
The problem is, he knows he can't be made to do anything but his is not mature enough to realise that the longer he waits the harder it will be to get into work.
I believe the children who decide not to continue with school and do not have a job, apprenticeship or further education to fall back on should be made to carry out national service.
They would be disciplined and educated whilst seeing the world.
This would stop this flow of unmotivated young adults, who are let go by the education system to easily.

Kelly, london, uk

One can only continue to despair at the management of the education system in this country. There is always some new initiative that ignores the real problem - low standards in the classroom, and a lack of freedom for good teachers to set high standards - and will only make things worse. When will we ever learn to concentrate on just putting kids in a classroom and giving them rigorous lessons?

Oliver Chettle, Bedford,

School was bad enough with all the boneheads who stayed onto 16. Why should we waste more money on them until they're 18? The government, as per usual, thinks that if it slaps us about a bit, we'll behave and become better people. But lowering the leaving age to 14 and bringing in decent (and voluntary) apprenticeships would be a better idea. [Fades out to Pink Floyd's 'Brick In The Wall'...]

Alexander, Winchester,

"Gordon Brown wants to change the law to require all teenagers to stay on in education or training until their 18th birthday from 2013 in an attempt to cut the number of young people who drop out of school and struggle to find jobs."

No brainer: raising the leaving age will INCREASE the number of young people who drop out of school and/or training.

What's the real intent: compulsion = oppression. Under no circumstances, especially in the face of seductive political rhetoric should we believe that compulsion achieves anything but for those who would be in control to feel so.

Rob Riches, Croydon, uk

Please NO! After teaching low ability year 11 mathematics this year - the thought of having them for another 2 years will send them and me over the edge!

Education is underfunded as it is - who will pay for not only the new rooms, but where will we get the teaching staff from? There is already a shortage of core subject teachers.

To respond to C Hunt's comment about people in shops have "dead end " Jobs - My husband has a A level's , and a degree in sciences and runs a shop! be careful before you label people!

Dizz, Bognor Regis, England