WARNING! This website is no longer actively maintained. It is an archive of 2 years work by Doug Belshaw who now blogs at dougbelshaw.com...
In a move which I have very mixed feelings about, the UK government is planning that children entering secondary school this year will be the first to be fined if they are not in some kind of education or training up until their 18th birthday. According to BBC News, those who refuse to participate will be served with an ‘attendance order’, the breach of which will be a criminal offence. Now if, and we’re dealing with unrealistic fantasies here, the education by 2015 is such that there are many real alternatives those currently on offer in schools and colleges, then - coupled with EMA payments - this could be a good idea. However, being a tad cynical, I doubt this is going to work and in effect we will not only end up failing some children educationally, but then, to add insult to injury, criminalise them. 
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Doug, the Ontario government has passd a law making it compulsory for students to attend school until they are eighteen. If they drop out, their drivers license will be revoked. Great, I thought. Another case of someone not in the classroom making decisions that I have to live with. How are we to keep kids in school unless programs change. I've been told that more relevant school-work co-op type of programs are going to be implemented so that going to school until you are 18 doesn't mean that you are going to be sitting in a classroom all day long. I'm not sure what these school/work programs will look like. There are all kinds of alternative supports outside of regular schools in place for kids now so if they can't cope with regular classrooms they can attend one of the 10 alternative programs the school board has set up. There are also several alternative programs like Credit Rescue, Credit completion, and Credit Deferral. Kids can also take Independent Learning Centre courses and get support in the regular school. It's actually quite bind boggling. I am part of the Student Success Team at our school because of my special ed background and experience teaching at-risk kids and the fact that I can give regular classroom teacher support with these kids regarding approaches and strategies that sometimes work with these kids. Let's face it, sometimes nothing works because the kids don't care.
I think its a good idea but will face alot of resistance. An angry 16 yr old that wants to leave school is hard to control.