Education is a major concern in most countries, which determines young people’s life prospects and the whole social development. While some educationalists suppose all young people aged under 18 should receive school education, I can hardly approve of this opinion.
Admittedly, achieving universal school education among all under-18 youngsters, to some extent, exerts a positive impact on both the students and the whole society. For one thing, school education provides chances for the young generation to become adequate for future practical work, after being systematically equipped with sufficient knowledge and skills in a learning community. For another, it is more literate young people in the society that help to guarantee the social stability, since juvenile delinquency is largely caused by idle adolescents, who have been out of school from an early age. After all, the youngsters who have received school education are the driving force for social progress.
However, not all young people should be forced to attend school education until 18 years old. Some students are not academically capable and they are eager to get rid of boring school curricula as early as possible to pursue their own dreams in other fields. In other words, school education may deprive them of the basic rights to realize self-development, which may even lead to rebellion and strong aversion. Furthermore, the financial burden is another obstacle which cannot be ignored. Paying tuition fees for at least 18-year-period education is not affordable for all young individuals and their families. Therefore, taking the economic conditions into consideration, the youth from disadvantaged families are more willing to be engaged in the work earlier, rather than continue a longer period of high-level school education.
In conclusion, the original intention of mandatory school education before adulthood is definitely beneficial to the young generation and the society, but the policy implementation must take the feasibility into account, to guarantee the ultimate effect.