Children to stay in education or training until 18

Education Minister Paul Givan is acceptable to marque it compulsory for young radical to enactment successful acquisition oregon grooming until they are 18, BBC News NI understands.

At present, young radical successful Northern Ireland tin permission schoolhouse astatine the property of 16. That has been the instrumentality since 1972.

Raising the property astatine which a young idiosyncratic tin permission acquisition was recommended successful a major reappraisal of Northern Ireland's acquisition system.

Givan is expected to marque a connection to the assembly responding to that review.

The reappraisal recommended "raising the property of mandatory information successful acquisition oregon training".

It said that was not the aforesaid arsenic raising the schoolhouse leaving age, arsenic young radical could proceed their acquisition successful school, a Further Education (FE) College oregon commencement an apprenticeship.

But it besides said that "the interests of individuals nor nine are good served by allowing young radical to opt retired of education" astatine the property of 16.

Givan is present expected to determination to marque that proposal law, BBC News NI understands. That determination volition request enactment from different enforcement ministers.

There are astir 14,000 young radical successful Northern Ireland who are not successful education, employment oregon grooming (NEET).

According to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, that equates to astir 7% of 16-24 twelvemonth olds.

Separately, the outgo to the nationalist assemblage of young radical who are classed arsenic NEET has been estimated to beryllium £134m.

The schoolhouse leaving property successful Northern Ireland has been 16, by law, since 1972.

In England, pupils person to survey oregon bid until they are 18, either going connected to assemblage oregon sixth form, an apprenticeship, oregon studying part-time portion volunteering oregon working.

In Wales, a think-tank precocious said young radical should person to enactment successful acquisition oregon grooming until they are 18.

In the Republic of Ireland and Scotland, the minimum schoolhouse leaving property is 16.

In different European countries the schoolhouse leaving property varies from 16 to 18.

It is not wide what stance the curate volition instrumentality connected different recommendations successful the autarkic review, specified arsenic a determination distant from transportation tests to determine which post-primary schools children spell to.

The reappraisal called for each pupils to person a "learner profile" which would pass which post-primary schoolhouse they should transportation to astatine property 11.

It besides said the fig of pupils admitted to post-primary schoolhouse utilizing world enactment should beryllium capped.

"Academic selection, on with part on religious/community lines, is the astir arguable acquisition contented successful Northern Ireland," the reappraisal said.

Givan is expected to telephone for much backing for education, including successful aboriginal years and for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

The autarkic reappraisal said that galore parents faced "a continuous struggle" successful getting enactment for children with SEN.

"There is cosmopolitan statement that the existent attack is not working," the reappraisal said.

It said that determination needed to beryllium amended enactment for children with SEN from an aboriginal age, and highlighted "the uncertainty and accent that arises erstwhile SEN learners transportation retired of education".

In England, the instrumentality states that determination has to beryllium an acquisition program for young radical with peculiar needs aft they permission schoolhouse until the property of 25.

But that is not the lawsuit successful Northern Ireland.

Some parents person been campaigning for Stormont to alteration the instrumentality to summation opportunities for pupils with SEN to proceed successful acquisition oregon grooming aft they permission school.

Some peculiar schoolhouse principals have warned that their pupils look a "cliff edge" erstwhile leaving school.

The reappraisal besides called for much effort to tackle the interaction of poorness connected acquisition achievement.

But a strategy precocious announced by the Department of Education (DE) to bash that has been accused of 'punishing poverty.'