These efforts to keep children in school seem to have had an effect. Studies have shown that over the past 18 years, dropout rates in the United States have dropped by nearly two-thirds. In 2000, about 1.6 million young people aged 16-19 were not in school or had no school-leaving certificate. Today, there are about 669,000. Children aged 13 and 14 may be employed in non-industrial establishments, provided that they attend school full-time, if they have not yet completed their third year of secondary education and under other conditions designed to protect their safety, health and well-being. [9] The recommendations of the NCSL Task Force on Preventing and Restoring Early School Leaving of January 2011 refer to the age of compulsory education. In the report, the working group recommends that states “conduct policy audits, eliminate counterproductive policies and encourage cooperation.” The report addresses the age of compulsory education as follows: In addition to raising the age of compulsory education, many States have taken other measures to discourage students from leaving school. For example, 29 states link driver`s licenses to school attendance and performance. In recent years, in the United States, the trend has been towards the expansion of compulsory schooling in order to reduce drop-out rates. According to the latest figures from the National Center for Education Statistics, the majority of states now require students to be 17 or 18 years old before they can drop out of college.
Since 2000, the number of countries setting the 16-year limit has been reduced from 29 to 15. “There is evidence that raising the maximum age of compulsory education above 16 reduces drop-out rates and leads to other positive outcomes. Until recently, most states allowed students to drop out of high school at age 16; Today, 32 states have set the age of compulsory education at 17 or 18. States can make maximum compulsory education more meaningful by revoking work permits and driving privileges for students who drop out before the minimum school age set by the government. States may also require that students who drop out of school before graduation receive information not only about the economic consequences of dropping out of school, but also about how to complete their baccalaureate afterwards. If the principal or school board denies your request to allow your child to leave public school and enroll in another work or study program, you have the right to contact the commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. Some countries have different exit or employment ages, but in some countries, such as China and Japan, the average age at graduation is 15, depending on apprenticeship or part-time or full-time employment. The table below shows the school-leaving age in countries around the world and their respective minimum ages of employment, and shows a comparison of the number of countries that have synchronized these age groups. All information comes from the Right to Education project table, unless otherwise indicated.
[1] If your child is under 17 but 6 years old. The class has graduated, it jumps when it misses: Although statistics show that dropping out of school is usually a bad idea, the motivation to drop out of school can be overwhelming. However, if students want to do so, state laws are a barrier until they reach a certain age — 16, 17 or 18, depending on the state. Not going to school without a valid reason, such as illness or a visit to the doctor, is illegal and punishable. Children can be punished by law if they do not attend school from the age of 12. Sanctions may be imposed in the form of fines, temporary imprisonment or community service under supervision. Fines can be up to €3,900.00. These sanctions may be imposed on the student and/or his/her parents or legal guardians. Although each state has a set minimum age for students to drop out of school, there are many asterisks to allow earlier dropouts. Some states allow school districts to adapt to local needs, sometimes they allow special regulations in rural areas. According to the State Board of Education, school districts also provide exemptions for students who must work, who have physical or mental conditions that make attendance difficult, who have parental permission, etc. For your teen, school may seem boring and unnecessary.
The idea of ending it and making your own way in the world may seem tempting. If you`re the parent of a high school student thinking about dropping out, it can be hard to talk them out. They may hate school and see dropping out of school as a ticket to freedom and an opportunity to earn a paycheck now rather than later. In Maine, your child must attend school from age 7 to 17. It may be wise to sit down and talk to them about the likely impact of this decision, and also talk to school counselors and staff about how your child`s opinion could be changed by a better school experience. And remember that dropping out of school doesn`t necessarily mean the end of your child`s educational career. You can always decide to go ahead and get a GED and even a college degree. Of course, students miss school without permission for a variety of reasons. But as absence becomes more chronic, most states refer to the student as “absenteeist” when they reach a certain point. In Connecticut, for example, an absentee is a student who has four unjustified absences in a month or 10 in a school year; In Illinois, when a student has unjustified absences for 10% of the 180 consecutive days, they jump. When a student is labeled as truancy, many states at least have the leeway to lay criminal charges against parents.
According to the Urban Institute, 24 states plus the District of Columbia allow punitive measures in juvenile or family courts against absentee parents. States have studied their school age limits as a strategy to prevent early school leaving, coupled with policies that impose attendance requirements and require students to be informed of the economic consequences and opportunities to drop out of the baccalaureate. But what about students who drop out – or start dropping out – before reaching the minimum age? Since August 2013, 16 states and the Virgin Islands have set the age of compulsory education at 16; 11 States for 17 years; and 23 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico at age 18. If the following 5 conditions are met, your child may be able to drop out of school before the age of 17: The minimum age from 2009 is as follows: Northern Territory – 15; LAW – 15; South Australia – 17; Queensland – 17; Students must remain in school until they reach the age of 16 or complete Grade 10, whichever comes first. From there, they must “learn or earn money,” meaning they must be employed for at least 25 hours per week, or in full-time education, or be in a combination of part-time employment and part-time study that lasts at least 25 hours per week until they reach age 17 or complete Grade 12 or equivalent. Depending on the first possibility. Victoria – 17; Western Australia – 15; NSW – 17 (if they do not want to do their HSC, they must work at least 25 hours a week or study at TAFE until the age of 17); Tasmania – 17. On the other hand, many countries elapse several years between school-leaving age and the minimum legal age for admission to employment, thus in some cases preventing such a transition for several years.
