The Chamber of Employees (CSL) has expressed doubts that the raising of the school-leaving age will bring about the desired effects.
At the beginning of the year, Minister of Education Claude Meisch announced plans to raise the mandatory school age from 16 to 18 in an attempt to improve the country's dropout rate.
600 to 700 students drop out of education every year. A new law, set to come into force in 2025, aims to prevent this. "10 to 12 percent of them find a job. The remainder, nearly 90 percent, sit at home - they become the infamous NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training). It is our priority to support these kids", Meisch had argued.
The CSL issued a statement to voice doubt that this initiative will bring down the number of youths leaving school prematurely or reduce the number of unqualified people looking for employment. It criticises the limitation on personal freedom and actually prevents young people from starting to work at the age of 16.
In fact, employment regulations would actually allow youths to start working as early as 15.
The CSL underlines that it is simply an attempt by the ministry to conceal the rate of young people leaving school without a degree.
