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School leaving age could be raised to 23 as youth unemployment climbs

The Dutch education ministry is considering raising the school leaving age to 23 in an attempt to reduce the number of people without qualifications.

At the moment education is compulsory in the Netherlands until the age of 18 or the student acquires a level two diploma.

Education minister Marja van Bijsterveldt has commissioned research into the possibility of raising the threshold to 23 or a college-level qualification.

She wants to examine what extra measures would be needed and the costs and benefits of encouraging students to stay at school for longer.

The move follows an initiative by Rotterdam City Council to raise its school leaving age on a trial basis.

Van Bijsterveldt wants to reduce the number of students dropping out of education before the age of 23 to 25,000 from its present level of 38,600. In 2002 more than 71,000 young people abandoned their studies.

Finding work is becoming increasingly difficult for school leavers in the Netherlands. A year ago the country had the lowest rate of youth unemployment in Europe, but the rate has risen sharply since last September.

In February the youth unemployment rate was measured at 11.3 per cent, nearly double the overall level.

Part of the figure was put down to a growing trend for students to extend their time in college rather than attempt to find work.

Source: De Volkskrant: Minister onderzoekt schoolplicht tot 23 jaar

Photo by Hans Mestrum