Compulsory training for under 18s

Prime Minister unveils details of $40 million plan

All under-18-year-olds will have to be in some form of education or training from 2014, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today.

Miss Clark used a campaign trail visit to Waitakere's Massey High School to give further details of the Government's Schools Plus programme, which she first outlined in January.

She also announced a four-year $40 million funding package for the initial phases of the policy.

Under the programme, expected to cost $150m a year once fully implemented, all youths under 18 would eventually have to be in some form of training.

Students leaving school would have to either go into other training, or if they took up a job would have to do that in conjunction with an apprenticeship or qualification.

Miss Clark said under the policy the school leaving age would remain at 16, but in 2011 an "education and training age" of 17 would be introduced. It would move to 18 in 2014.

By 2011 all students would have an "education plan" developed with the help of career advisers and teachers.

She said the aim of Schools Plus was to tackle the 34 percent of students who left school without level two NCEA.

"Senior secondary schooling will be transformed so that staying at school, gaining relevant qualifications, and building on qualifications beyond school, will become the accepted norm over time," Miss Clark said.

The Government has already introduced legislation axing school leaving exemptions for those under 16.

The current school leaving age is 16, but large numbers of 15-year-olds have been granted exemptions in recent years so they could move into jobs or other training. M iss Clark said the policy would mean extra support would be needed for teachers, schools, and other training providers.

The package announced today includes:

* $11.7m towards developing a careers guidance package to be available in all secondary schools over the next two years;

* $21m to enable more students to study for tertiary qualifications at school;

* $6m to explore innovative programmes aimed at meeting Schools Plus goals;

* providing more pre-employment education and training for those under 18 years with no or few qualifications while they are still at school;

* $1 million for a pilot secondary-tertiary programme at the Manukau Institute of Technology.

-NZPA