IT'S not just about children staying in school longer - they desperately need the training and skills to improve their life chances and strengthen Britain's economic clout.

Those are the views of schools minister and Dorset South MP Jim Knight, speaking exclusively to the Daily Echo yesterday as the government's green paper was announced detailing plans to raise the school leaving age to 18 - the first change in 25 years.

Senior staff at Bournemouth and Poole College say they welcome the proposals which they say are in line with the college's ideology of empowering youngsters, but fear there may be legal complications as a result.

Mr Knight said: "It's important that people don't see this as just raising the school leaving age. It's all about staying on in education and getting training.

"We will be expanding the apprenticeship group to half a million in the next few years, and we are developing a new qualification for 14 to 19-year-olds from 2013.

"In this country, and Dorset is no different, there are still too many youngsters not in education or training."

Rowland Foote, principal at Bournemouth and Poole College, says he welcomes the proposals which already reflect the mindset of the campus and the current work done there to encourage youngsters to stay on.

"As it stands presently, many 16-year-olds choose to leave education after their compulsory schooling but then become unsettled and lacking in direction, returning to further education at around 18 or 19 of their own volition," he said.

"The government's proposals should empower young people to get the right skills, qualifications and experience that will help with their longer-term career aspirations.

"It will be interesting to see how the government intends to enforce this new ruling, and I think we may well see some legal challenges, as 16-year-olds currently have the legal entitlement to make their own choices on many important life issues."

Margaret Morrissey, Dorset-based spokeswoman for the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said the proposals were well intentioned.

But she raised "serious concerns" over whether the scheme would work.

"Potentially this could criminalise thousands of teenagers. If they don't stay on until 18, they will face fines," she said.

"This will hit those families who are the least able to afford it."