What happens to CTC CB HB CTB when child turns 16?

jellyhead

daviecol wrote: »

Unfortunately there are probably thousands of families finding themselves in this situation.

The reality of the matter is too many people are relying too heavily on the benefit system to prop up their finances (not necessarily own their fault, but a fact none the less).

I don't really understand why these kids are going to become NEETs tbh - there are so many courses at college, our local college seems desperate to put bums on seats.

There's got to be something ... are people saying that the colleges are full and their kids can't get a space?

BigAunty

I attend a FE college at the moment and estimate that around a third or half of the students have dropped out. So that's going to explain some NEETS - those who drop out of studies, not just those that didn't get places. I believe that drop out rates at colleges and Unis have always been fairly high.

Also, I imagine that some just sleepwalk into being a NEET - they have no idea when they leave school that getting a job is so hard, or they lack the initiative to apply for a college course or apprenticeship in a timely basis.

Others I guess are from workless families so there's not much encouragement to seek training, employment or education, come from a culture where there isn't any educational or employment ambition.

Dunroamin

jellyhead wrote: »

I don't really understand why these kids are going to become NEETs tbh - there are so many courses at college, our local college seems desperate to put bums on seats.

There's got to be something ... are people saying that the colleges are full and their kids can't get a space?

Some people are saying that but it isn't the case.

jellyhead

ok

My son won't have a choice - if he drops out of A levels he'll do something else. I'm harsh

oldhand

jellyhead wrote: »

ok

My son won't have a choice - if he drops out of A levels he'll do something else. I'm harsh

not harsh,fair and sensible......:)

daviecol

jellyhead wrote: »

ok

My son won't have a choice - if he drops out of A levels he'll do something else. I'm harsh

In my experience they all need a 'little push' into the big world of work.

Being 'harsh' and making them stand on their feet as an adult is part of your job as a parent.

Well done you!

Dontknowanymore

jellyhead wrote: »

ok

My son won't have a choice - if he drops out of A levels he'll do something else. I'm harsh

Same! I don't work at the moment but am constantly planting little seeds, I even took him to the college the other day to show him where 'mummy is going back to school' He knows I left school with nothing GCSE wise and said that I am silly because now after 12 years I have to go back to school :rotfl:He said he wants to go to college straight from school (he's only 7) or get a high paid job so he can buy himself a 3DS and lots of Lego Don't you just love how kids minds work!

jellyhead

Dontknowanymore wrote: »

Same! I don't work at the moment but am constantly planting little seeds, I even took him to the college the other day to show him where 'mummy is going back to school' He knows I left school with nothing GCSE wise and said that I am silly because now after 12 years I have to go back to school :rotfl:He said he wants to go to college straight from school (he's only 7) or get a high paid job so he can buy himself a 3DS and lots of Lego Don't you just love how kids minds work!

:rotfl: and maybe all the Skylanders figures? :T

I don't mean to sound nasty but I don't think my son will enjoy A levels, but it's his choice and it looks like he will scrape into the 6th form. We're still talking about college though, and he knows what courses there are, and knows he wants to study.

He's been in the Alternative curriculum where a smaller group of children gets a lot of nurturing and extra attention, and they take fewer GCSE and do an NVQ in something like hairdressing or bricklaying instead, and COPE award, and they aren't forced to take RE as a GCSE. From what my son says all of the kids in that group have ideas about what they want to do next, whereas I suspect many of them would have become disengaged if they'd carried on with full-on schooling in full classes.

I think the Alternative curriculum is great, but it seems there are lots more kids who'd benefit from that sort of extra attention to their future, and a less-stress approach to GCSEs.

dktreesea

BigAunty wrote: »

I attend a FE college at the moment and estimate that around a third or half of the students have dropped out. So that's going to explain some NEETS - those who drop out of studies, not just those that didn't get places. I believe that drop out rates at colleges and Unis have always been fairly high.

Also, I imagine that some just sleepwalk into being a NEET - they have no idea when they leave school that getting a job is so hard, or they lack the initiative to apply for a college course or apprenticeship in a timely basis.

Others I guess are from workless families so there's not much encouragement to seek training, employment or education, come from a culture where there isn't any educational or employment ambition.

Is the drop out rate so high because children are being forced to continue on their education, in the absence of meaningful paid employment, so end up doing courses they didn't want to do or are not suited to? And possibly forced to by parents who can't afford to support them if they become NEETs even though the parent and the child both know they would be better suited to the world of work?

When Primark opened here - personally I can't see the attraction of working for Primark, but teenagers seem to think they are the bees knees - they had over 4,500 applications for 557 jobs. They had to put adverts in the paper saying all the jobs had been filled. And going into the store, I don't think I saw one girl who looked like she was still in her teens on their staff.

I'm all for if kids don't want to continue their education then they should go to work, but there's not enough jobs for older experienced jobseekers, let alone teenagers straight out of school with only a couple of weeks work experience.

And to those who say poor working families in that situation will have to budget better, maybe that is true for all of us, but it's fairly impractical. It's not like one can suddenly go up to their boss and say that junior is now out of work so can he stump up a few extra hours work a week to cover the shortfall. Not in this day and age where companies seem to be moving to reduce hours rather than increase them.

jellyhead

but isn't it better to do a course they are not suited to (or change to a less demanding one) than drop out to do nothing at all? Courses take up a small portion of the week, so there's plenty of time to search for work, do work experience, etc.

Wouldn't it be better to try to scrape a pass in the course than drop out and do nothing?