Should people be allowed to leave full time education at 14 - retaining the right to take a further four years of state funded education later in life? A number of my school friends wished in later years they'd taken more notice of their education at the time, maybe they'd have done better if they'd taken it when they'd realised how useful it would be to them and had an idea why they wanted to - rather than being forced to do it a 15 and 16 years of age when they weren't that interested.

Most kids would probably stay on straight through, but a few might do better if able to go to work/apprenticeship and take their education later when they knew what they needed - or if settled in a profession, use the years for professional training or courses for interest. Not everyone is at their best with exams and qualifications although the current thinking seems to be that this is the only important thing. (Impossible to organise but wouldn't it be good if schools had to provide league tables showing their ex-pupils success in relationships, job satisfaction and social usefulness 5 and 10 years after leaving!)

Lets stop telling our kids that academic success is the only thing worth having, and value non-academic careers more. Where would we be without cleaners, waiting staff, shop workers, carers, plumbers, decorators, mechanics, public transport drivers - to name a few. Illegal immigrants are employed as cleaners because its a job most people don't want but if it was valued more and paid better then people would want the job. It's a vital job - but we'd only appreciate that if we shopped in filthy shops and worked in filthy offices and used uncleaned toilets.