It's weird. Honestly it's a wonder to me that a few of these free-thinking guys around town don't re-orientate their thoughts and get hold of some real problem that's worth solving. Sure we all know that there are plenty of so-called society evils that need solving and keep cropping up in some newspaper columns and being criticised by some small-thinking do-gooders who say a lot of stuff that's worth nothing. Boy, it bugs me. Why don't these eggheads settle down to some creative thinking and instead of criticising come up with some solution and offer it for discussion. That's what I've done, and boy, I've got four problems off the hook. And my bait is raising the school-leaving age to eighteen.

This to me solves some problems you know so well. You know, things like delinquency, school uniforms, the lack of skilled labour, the exploitation of apprentices, and the high failure rate of first year university students.

Urge For Adult Experiences

Delinquency stems from an adolescent urge for adult experiences. It stems from envy and an urge for the freedom of adult life. Whether or not statistics agree I cannot say but it seems from my reading of "Truth" that the majority of teenage delinquents are unskilled, highly paid workers … teenagers earning adult wages and able to afford the pleasures of adult life. Not only will raising the school leaving age prevent them from taking these jobs, it will keep these junior "Al Capones" within the control of State trained supervisors. And by the time they graduate to the adult world, they will be better able to cope with the influx of money … money … money.

As a psychological compensation for the depriving of a chance to enter adult life, it is essential that if the school leaving age is raised, school uniforms must be abolished. Besides restricting natural adolescent development, school uniforms are a ridiculously expensive rule, a major reason why many of the children of lower class homes leave school at 15. It is expensive not in itself but in its effect. In the natural adolescent urge for development the youngster is urgent in his appeal for an additional set or sets of clothing that he can wear for social acceptance in his pseudo adult world … the world outside the jurisdiction of the school.

The abolition of school uniforms will reduce parent expenses and offer junior an ego appetiser, and remove a grave psychological barrier to the development of many teenagers. And new trends in clothing styles are neat and functional.

Thus by raising the school leaving age and abolishing school uniforms three things of importance are achieved.

Effect On University Life

Now the higher education will have an obvious effect on University life. The student at 18 will be far better equipped both mentally and in ability to cope with the way of University education. Being well versed in its ways and pampered by pseudo-adult offerings during school life, the new University student at 18 will be less inclined to gamble about enjoying new found freedom. And dress eccentricities will be minimized.

Now some will argue that raising the school leaving age will have a detrimental effect on the apprenticeship system at present in vogue. But this of course is due for revision anyway. The State, or private enterprise at least, would be well advised to establish trade training schools. Here with modern equipment and competent (well paid) instructors high standards of technical trade training could be achieved, and the use of boy apprentices as cheap labour would become an exploitation of the past. The period of apprenticeship would be reduced to a period of not more than two years, and would be a period where the ex-pupil gains practical experience at applying technical know-how. The employer would reap the advantage of knowing the aptitude and ability of the boy he has hired and have, more quickly than before, a really capable and experienced employee. This system in principle is being effectively applied to pharmacy trainees.

The boy leaving school and going into an apprenticeship would be the equivalent of the present day matriculation student and their place in society would be equal. Thus there would be more incentive for boys to take up trades and therefore more skilled workers.

As the age of mechanisation sweeps down on us, the need for a higher education and technical trade training is not only imperative for the survival of society, it is imperative for the individual.

Anyway it seems to me that the raising of the school leaving age is imperative whatever way you look at it.