School Leaving at 18
School Leaving at 18 The necessary nature of schooling is a sensible place to begin any discussion of the rights and responsibilities of students and their parents. ... Legislation1 forces provinces to provide a space in school for every child of a certain age and all children of a certain age are compelled to attend school. ... Today, provincial legislations require that all children must attend an accredited school until a particular age, usually 16, at which time they are free to leave. 16 is the age limit for leaving schools because the child labour laws in most states dont allow children to work until they reach their 16th birthday. As such, the government doesnt want 14 and 15 year old to be "idle hands" so they require that they attend school. ... However, many states and Canadian provinces have noted that the labour market is very soft for 16 years old, and anyone without a high school education. Ontario is thinking of raising the school leaving age to 18, when most students will have finished high school. In Canada, the Education Act, section 21, states “If 16th birthday is between January 1st and end of August, can quit school on 16th birthday.