NE1: Fixed School Leaving Age Act

[Clyde1998]

This bill sets out the guidelines for who should be in full time education - allowing people at the age of sixteen to leave school in order to go into full time work (around 30 hours per week). [I should probably add that to the final bill]

If someone between the ages of seventeen and eighteen is unemployed then this bill would require them to be in full time education (school, college, apprenticeship, etc.) until the end of the school year that contains their eighteenth birthday.

I've allowed a two week period for those who are new to the region to comply with the bill - so they can find a new place of education.

The bill will ensure that all states have the same school leaving age across the region.

[Clyde1998]

Good bill, and I support it in principle, but I have trouble seeing how this doesn't violate the Federal Supremacy Clause (which sets the age of majority at 16).

My primary concern is the legalese, though - say, if a seventeen-year-old is fired, then under this law, they technically aren't complying and their parents are fined $200. Could we include a procedure about people who are looking for a job or have just been fired?

Maybe we should ask the Federal Government to check whether we are allowed to pass something like this. This could get through - in the same way that in the US, the age of majority is 18, but the legal drinking age is 21.

If we are allowed to pass this, I'm very happy to add a section about being fired. Should we allow two weeks for them for find a new job or re-enter education (which would match new residents in the initial proposal)?

[Clyde1998]

I think the age of majority, maybe, should be 18 - with certain opt outs in certain situations (such a voting, for example).

I guess this bill is dead in the water then, unless we can concise Federal Government to either allow our region a separate age of majority - or to raise the national age of majority to 18.

[Clyde1998]

Aye - but I doubt Federal Government will allow us to pass it.