Students across the UK are waiting in anticipation for GCSE results.
Many will be holding out to see if their grades allow them to continue their educational or professional adventure, whether that means going to college, university or heading out into the working world.
In times gone by, students were allowed to leave education at 16 years old after they completed their GCSEs. Although A-levels were encouraged it was not essential to continue with education.
But is that still the case? How old do you have to be before you can leave school? What if people don't want to stay in education until they're 18?
How long do students have to go to school for?
In England, these are the rules set out by the government :
You can leave school on the last Friday in June, if you’ll be 16 by the end of the summer holidays.
You must then do one of the following until you’re 18:
- stay in full-time education, for example at a college
- start an apprenticeship or traineeship
- spend 20 hours or more a week working or volunteering, while in part-time education or training
Do the same rules apply in other parts of the UK?
In both Scotland and Wales, students can leave education when they hit 16 years of age.
There are no further requirements to go to university, take part in apprenticeships or volunteer until reaching the age of 18, unlike England.
Why did the government introduce law to keep students in education/traineeships?
The government made changes the Education and Skills Act 2008 in 2013 taking the age students could leave education up to 17, and then again in 2015, upping the age once again to 18.
The reason for the amendment was to try and tackle children leaving education without specialised skills and to help them find it easier to get jobs after leaving school. Especially for students that decided not to go on to take A-levels or head to university.
However it has only been implemented in England.
When are A-level and GCSE Result Days this summer
A-level results are released on August 18, with the same date expected for BTEC national qualification results to be released too.
GCSE results are scheduled to be sent out to schools and students slightly later, on August 25.
For those in England, receiving their GCSE's this year could determine whether they complete A levels or not, however some form of education whether it's traineeships or volunteering is still compulsory.
