In most countries, the school leaving age reflects when young people are seen to be mature enough within their society, but not necessarily when they are old enough to be regarded as an adult.
[6][8] The School Attendance Act, 1926 established a harder minimum of 14 years, controversially retaining a temporary exemption in spring and autumn for children over 12 working on the family farm.
The compulsory school leaving age was raised to 16 years to bring the country into line with the rest of the EU.
The reform of the educational system presently underway in Italy has increased the school leaving age to 18 years.
Apprentices below the age of 18 without occupational qualifications are offered the option of completing compulsory education required by Italian law.
The Polish government overhauled the country's education system, resulting in school attendance being made compulsory up to the age of 18, though there are some non-school alternatives including apprenticeships.
[22] In contrast, school teachers had a different view, particularly due to the increased workload and number of students they now had to accommodate.
In one instance, a headteacher visited a class of 16 year olds to find them playing cards "or just kicking their heels with boredom".
[23] Other reports suggested the leaving age raise was a "cheat" for many young people, as expectations had been built up without being able to "supply the goods", often leading children to be "fobbed off with diverting".
The Education Minister Carmel Tebbutt stated "all the research shows that if students either get their Higher School Certificate or an equivalent vocational qualification, then their employment opportunities in later life are far greater and so is their income-earning capacity.
"[26][27] The state of South Australia also suggested similar proposals in March 2006, saying that their school leaving age should be raised from 16 to 17 by 2008.
Independent state MP Bob Such suggests that it may not happen for at least another four years, whilst in the meantime, too many children are leaving school without any qualifications.
[32] The minimum ages for leaving school (but not necessarily education) are currently the following: Some states such as ACT allow for students to leave conventional schooling at an earlier age, after completion of Year 10, if going into full-time employment, obtaining an apprenticeship or completing a tertiary education course at approved institutions.