Why has the Victorian Government increased the compulsory school age from 16 to 17?
Research demonstrates that young people without qualifications or experience will generally have lower career prospects in the long term, and earn less over the course of their careers. The Victorian Government is committed to enabling every young person going through the education system to find a pathway which suits their interests, aims and abilities, and allows them to gain skills to help them in their future. The compulsory school age has been increased to meet the participation requirement agreed by Council of Australian Governments (COAG) on 2 July 2009. The agreed participation requirement includes: • A mandatory requirement for all young people to participate in schooling (meaning in school or an approved equivalent) until they complete Year 10; and • A mandatory requirement for all young people that have completed Year 10, to participate full-time (defined as at least 25 hours per week) in education, training or employment, or a combination of these activities, until age 17.
