Why Can't Kids Quit School at Such Young Ages Like 12 or 13 Anymore?
Many wonder why kids can't quit school at such young ages like 12 or 13, as this was much more common in the past. According to my parents, who dropped out around those ages in the 1950s and 1960s, leaving school without qualifications was acceptable because most jobs did not require formal education. Less than 10% of people had higher qualifications, and the majority left school at 15 due to it being legally 12 or 13 in most countries.
However, the landscape has changed dramatically over the past 70 years. Today, very few well-paying or clean jobs are available without good qualifications. Approximately 40% of people have degrees, and the majority of the remaining 60% are educated up to 18, which is now the standard length of compulsory education in many countries.
Risks of Early School Leavers
Among the many reasons why it is now risky for 12-year-olds to leave education, one is the significant risk of being victimized and forced into dangerous situations such as sex slavery or other forms of exploitation. Additionally, young people in urban settings often become involved in criminal activities, such as joining gangs, selling drugs, and theft. In the 1950s and 1960s, there were more stay-at-home mothers in the US, meaning many kids who weren't in school still had some supervision. Moreover, there were many more family farms, which provided young rural kids with jobs.
Expansion of Formal Education
As society and nations have evolved over the past 60 to 70 years, many reasons have compelled schools to be expanded, formalized, and lengthened. This was partly in response to the increasing complexity of the world, but also to provide more supervised time for children. The evolution of formal education has partly been to reduce the risk of children being forced into abusive working conditions, such as the child workers in the Congo who are forced to work all day in cobalt mines.
Social and Economic Changes
While it is difficult to make generalizations, society and nations have changed significantly after the Second World War. Many countries were still dealing with the aftermath of the war, and there were often conflicts in various countries. The war was fought by young men, while the leaders were generally not directly involved. Many young adults had been lost in the war, and there were significant proportions of elderly individuals who were too old to join the workforce, and young individuals who were too young.
In the 1950s and 1960s, technology had started to automate many manual tasks, raising the skill level required to operate this new equipment. This necessitated lengthening the period of compulsory education to ensure that the workforce had the necessary skills. For example, a laborer who once wielded a scythe is now a tractor operator who can perform specialized functions of machines. Tending to horses was replaced by maintaining machinery. This transformation in the workforce required a shift in the skills possessed by the younger generation.
Considerations for Child Labor
Looking back to earlier centuries, the types of work available were often labor-intensive tasks that required the assistance of children. However, more recently, the introduction of technology has significantly altered the job market. The advancement of technology has forced the skill sets of the workforce to evolve, meaning that young people need to be better educated to meet the demands of the modern economy.
Over the past 70 years, the reasons for the expansion and standardization of formal education have been multi-faceted. It is crucial to recognize how these changes have impacted the job market and the overall well-being of young people. While the past may offer insights, the current landscape of education and employment requires a balanced approach to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world.