Talk about the current school leaving age. Do young people think it is too low? Are 16-year-olds ready to make their own decisions about college or jobs?
The Education Secretary Alan Johnson regrets leaving school at 15. He stacked shelves at Tesco before becoming a postman. Does this mean he is in a good position to judge? Or is he proof you don't need qualifications to succeed? Talk about how employers' needs have changed.
One young person wrote on an internet forum: "I didn't start learning the really useful things in life until I left school." Do other young people believe that school doesn't teach them anything useful?
It is likely that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to work, but only in a job with training, like an Apprenticeship.
Do young people welcome this?
In Canada, young people cannot get a driving licence unless they have proof that they are in education or training. Would this work in the UK?
How else might the rules be enforced?
There may be exemptions for under-18s who are caring for parents or relatives, and for young teenage mothers. Talk about the logic of this. Is it right that education should be compulsory for some young people and not others?
