STARTING in September, all Dorset pupils will be required to remain at school, college or on-the-job training until they turn 17.
This is the first step in a nation-wide move towards raising the education leaving age to 18 by 2015.
Teenagers who received their GCSE results last week are the first who will be officially unable to move directly on to a job without add-on training or a day-a-week college release.
Charities have warned of a shortage of available training places, insisting more than 50,000 teenagers who would have previously dropped out at 16 will be hardest hit by the change.
Teachers’ leaders have also said raising the education leaving age could leave GCSEs totally redundant.
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