Education activists have welcomed a change in the school leaving age from 16 to 18, but questioned what Government has planned to keep students interested in school.

Education Minister El James made the announcement in the House of Assembly on Friday during a debate on the Throne Speech, however the proposed change was first announced last April by then Education Minister Randy Horton.

At the time, Mr. Horton said: "Now, once a child goes 16, they can leave. We want to make sure that they all stay long enough to graduate. There is not a great percent of students that graduate before they are 16."

Speaking after the announcement, Mr James said: "Right now it's still 16 and we hope to enforce that school leaving age of 18 beginning next September. The legislation was there prior to my time, it's just not been Gazetted.

"I think it may force some of our young people to look at what education can really do for them and right now a lot of them use it as an excuse to get out of school at 16 but if they know they have to be there they might buckle down and make full use of their time."

Last night Myron Piper, of Bermuda Educational Parents' Association, said: "I take the Minister's point that some children may buckle down.

"However, I feel that the technical school should be set up and ready to go so those who are less academic will have a viable option. This would further negate stigmatising those [who are] less academic and give both groups an opportunity to achieve a pathway that could prepare them to be productive citizens.

"The additional time will also put a greater burden on the existing infrastructure. The Government at the moment hasn't dealt with many of the present issues concerning education and this seems to ostensibly be a piecemeal operation, just trying to put out fires instead of resolving issues."

Bermuda Union of Teachers general secretary Mike Charles agreed with raising the leaving age but questioned what programmes Government had in mind to keep students interested.

He added: "The important thing is what are they putting in place to encourage these kids to stay. Do they have programmes?

"Just saying they're going to raise the age doesn't mean it's going to make a difference. Unless they have plans to put programmes in place for those students, its just going to be kids hanging around just because they have to hang around."

Mr. Charles said programmes needed to attract students in order to keep them interested in school to make sure it is "worth their while".

"There are other ways than just having bodies there until they're 18," he added.

The proposal was originally included in the Education Amendment Act 2008 legislation tabled after the damning Hopkins Report recommended a huge overhaul of the Island's failing schools system.

The law was aimed at:

• Improving accountability — with underperforming principals and teachers to face the sack;

l Creating a Commissioner of Education to supervise and evaluate education performance;

l Raising the school leaving age from 16 to 18.