Sir - There is a government proposal to increase the school leaving age to 18, why? What is this stupid idea designed to achieve?

My era produced some of the most charismatic people who made our country the envy of the world. They started school at 5 years old and left at 15 as did I. We could speak and write English , we had all the numeracy skills we were likely to need to get us through life and developed many life skills which are lacking today.

Now we send our kids to nursery, pre school and the school at 3 years old or earlier and we want them to carry on until 18. Fifteen years learning what?

A large number of 16 to 19 year olds cannot get through a sentence without saying " like " several times, they cannot spell simple words the have little or no numeracy skills so if the haven't mastered these basics at 16 how is another 2 years at a place where most of them do not want to be going to help? Back to basics and stop this pointless tinkering. Some children are going to go through life from aged 3 to 18 hardly ever spending any quality time with parents, no wonder they are like they are, and I'm not knocking the kids my criticism is levelled at the tinkerers.

Mike Upton

Worcester