Gemma Fraser: Not everyone's academic, so why not offer alternatives?

Forcing all children to study until the age of 16 can be a waste of time for those who would be better training for a vocation, finds Gemma Fraser

IT is often said that schooldays are the best days of your life. But for some pupils, there is nothing worse than turning up day after day to learn about subjects they are not interested in and prepare for exams they know they are going to fail.

Many youngsters would rather be training to learn a skill that will give them a fighting chance in this depressing job market than sitting in a classroom daydreaming.

So the question is: should we persist with the current set-up of forcing youngsters to stick at it until they are at least 16 - with most also being forced to sit their Standard Grades - or should we be looking at a more flexible approach to education to cater for individual needs?

David MacKenzie is one headteacher who would argue for the latter.

The Linlithgow Academy head believes that pupils would benefit more if the school leaving age was removed, allowing education instead to take place in a mixture of schools, colleges and training providers.

Mr MacKenzie shared his views on the future of Scottish education with guests at his school's award ceremony earlier this month.

"In the current climate it is questionable if comprehensive schools, as we know them, are best placed to deliver high quality education for all," he said.

With increasing pressure on university and college places, and an equally competitive job market, the headteacher believes young people need to be equipped with everything possible to allow them to prepare for their futures. Vocational courses, for example, can be taught in and out of school.

Mr MacKenzie said: "We have not had a major review of education since the 70s. We don't want to stunt their growth keeping them in school when they could start their training at college. Why do we have to keep children in school just because they are not 16? A lot of pupils are having a fallow year as they are forced to do fourth year."

Mr MacKenzie is not alone in his belief that the education system needs an overhaul to meet the needs of 21st century pupils. While a new exam system will be coming into force from 2013 - which will see a new system of "Nationals" replace Standards Grades - Rod Grant, headmaster at Clifton Hall School, says this is the wrong direction.

He believes Scotland should be looking towards other countries such as Finland, where children can choose between vocational and academic courses at 15, then flick between the two thereafter.

"What David MacKenzie is saying mirrors what's happening in some of the more forward-thinking nations like Finland," explained Mr Grant.

"They finish their broad education at 15 and can choose whether they want to go down the academic route or vocational route.

"But the most important part of it is that it's interchangeable - they can switch and go back to academic from vocational, or to vocational from academic. It's very flexible and adaptable and that's what I would encourage."

But Ann Ballinger, general secretary of the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association, warned that the right balance has to be struck to ensure that young people are given a solid educational grounding.

She said: "I would agree that there has to be as much flexibility as possible but at the same time the rights to an education have to be maintained.

"A situation that said that young people must be in formal education until they're 16 but that education could include courses at college is the most practical way forward.

"I would be very unhappy about a situation which, however well meant, opened the door to the exploitation of young people by having them doing training work like the young employment schemes that have been available in the past at 15.

"If it's genuine college education, there's no reason why that can't be undertaken at college."

Ms Ballinger added: "Sometimes that additional year at school can make a huge difference to their ability to do simple things like reading and writing."

It is clear that there is a strong argument for treating every young person as an individual. Academia is not the right path for all, and offering vocational courses alongside traditional subjects can work wonders for the enthusiasm levels of young people.

Castlebrae, Wester Hailes and Craigroyston high schools, for example, all witnessed improvements in attendance rates after opening up hairdressing salons and garages for pupils to learn skills for future apprenticeships.

But striking the right balance is important, and educators need to be sure that moving young people away from the traditional formula is best for their overall prospects.