Leaving school early

Are they just going through a rough patch? They would probably benefit by sticking with school.
Does something at school need to change for them to be happy?
Are they sick of school, but lacking goals or the maturity to handle leaving?
Are they ready to leave, but have already sorted out a plan for work, training or study?
Are they already dropping out, either with truancy, behavioural/drug/alchohol problems and/or poor academic achievement?

What if your child wants to leave school before 16?

: When school is difficult help them focus on what they will gain by staying at school

Students can be granted an “early leaving exemption”, so that they can leave school before they turn 16. However, they'll need to have a suitable job or training situation arranged.

Talk to the school careers adviser or year dean if your child has a job or training opportunity they want to pursue and has not yet turned 16. They may have advice or information that can help.

Bear in mind that the Ministry of Education declines about 90% of early leaving exemptions, as the Government wants to encourage students to stay in school and gain a qualification.

Leaving school doesn't mean your child's education is over

Young school leavers often just need time to mature. When they are ready, they may re-visit their career decisions and further education. This could involve:

going back to school as an adult
committing to tertiary study
starting a trade.

Get support from the guidance staff at school

Guidance staff may include the year level dean, the careers adviser or the guidance counsellor. You can contact them over the phone, via email or make an appointment to see them in person.

It’s good to talk to them about what your child is struggling with and get their input. Questions you could ask are:

Could your child change their subjects or classes?
What would they gain from staying in school?
How can the school support your child better in goal setting?
Are there opportunities for work experience your child could get involved in?

Talk with your child about what they are struggling with at school

By talking with your child you can find out if there is something that could change.

What don’t they like about school?
What do they really enjoy about school?
What can be done about the things they don’t enjoy?

Secondary student section - is now the right time leave school?

Work on some goals together

: Having some goals can motivate students to work harder at school

Goal-setting can motivate your child to stay at school. There is a strong link between motivation in class and having some goals during and beyond school. Some teachers recommend setting goals with children at Year 9 or 10 if possible.

Some things to ask your child are:

What are their hopes and dreams?
What could they gain from staying in school?
Will leaving school help them reach their goals?
Have they got enough NCEA credits to do what they want to do?

Set boundaries around school work and future goals

As a parent of a child under 16, you are legally required to make sure your child attends school each day. Stay positive about school and remind them of how it will help in the long run. Try setting boundaries around:

attending school - make it clear you expect them to go to school every day.
getting homework done
a healthy lifestyle - let your child know that drugs, alcohol, lack of sleep, and poor eating will affect their ability to learn
post-school plans - tell your child they need to arrange a job or further study before they can leave school.

Why stay in school? See how average weekly incomes change depending on your qualifications

Help them get work experience

Encourage your child to do work experience so they can find out about a range of jobs before making a decision. They may be able to do this while still at school. Talk to the careers adviser about Gateway and other programmes that might be available.
Part-time or holiday work can also help your child gain valuable employment skills. Work experience will make the transition between school and work much easier.

Encourage them to get their driver’s licence

: Are you ready to give some driving lessons?

Having a driver’s licence is a valuable skill. Not only can it open up job opportunities, but your child will be able to drive themselves to work if they need to without relying on you. Make time to teach them how to drive or, if you can’t, ask another family member, friend or pay a professional to help.

Explore training options

Your child has a number of training options, such as going to university or polytech, or learning a trade. Help them work out what options would suit them best.

What are your tertiary study options?
What are your industry or trade training options?
Step-by-step guide to the STAR programme

Check out job and training options

If doing training doesn’t suit your child right now and they are thinking about getting a job, here are some tips to help them with their job hunt:

Speak to key people, for example, friends who have left school, people at work, parents, careers advisers and Gateway co-ordinators.
Make sure their CV is up to date.
Speak to recruitment agencies.
Contact some employers to find out what they are looking for.
Use the Internet for research.
Check out newspapers. They often have sections for job seekers.

Do you have the skills employers are looking for? - Review your skills.