PLANS by the government to force young people to stay in education or training until they are 18 have been attacked by one of the country’s leading educationists as “ill-conceived” and likely to have an “overwhelmingly negative effect”.

According to a pamphlet by Alison Wolf, professor of public sector management at King’s College London, the policy promoted by Ed Balls, the children’s secretary, will infringe civil liberties and wreck the market for youth employment while providing qualifications that have “little or no market value”.

“It is one of the most ill-thought-out pieces of education legislation I have ever seen,” said Wolf. “I find it very hard to find any redeeming features.” Her pamphlet, published today by the Policy Exchange think tank, comes as the government prepares for a second reading in the Commons tomorrow of the bill to introduce the new “participation age”.

It has also emerged that a report commissioned by the government and released without publicity has found little evidence from overseas that forcing people to stay in school or training until 18 has any benefit.

“Unfortunately, it was not possible to find any direct evidence of the impact of introducing a system of compulsory education or training to the age of 18,” says the review, commissioned by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. From 2015 all teenagers will have to stay at school or in training until they are 18. Those in jobs will have to take time off to train.

Other criticism has been raised because the bill does not exempt pregnant or disabled teenagers, those in the armed forces or those training to become professional athletes. “Gap” years taken by many youngsters could also be severely hit.

Balls said yesterday: “This is about extending opportunity to all young people and making sure we can succeed in the global economy.”

It is understood the Tories, who had previously called the policy a “gimmick”, plan to abstain in the Commons.

They hope to introduce amendments to remove provisions such as taking teenagers through the courts if they fail to attend training.

Michael Gove, the shadow children’s secretary, said: “The government’s own report has outlined a series of problems with keeping children in education against their will . . . We will work with the government to improve this legislation.”

But Balls said: “If the Tories sit on their hands and abstain, they will prove the Conservative party still believes in educational opportunity only for some and not for all.”

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