However, there are some situations where a 15-year-old can leave early.<\/p>\n
To be considered for an early leaving exemption<\/a>, a student must have passed Year 8 numeracy and literacy standards<\/a> and be enrolled at a secondary school.<\/p>\n Post Primary Teachers\u2019 Association (PPTA) president Chris Abercrombie said school environments aren\u2019t always the best fit for these students.<\/p>\n \u201cI think most of the students will be going on to private training institutes, be it industry training.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom my experience, those are often students with a really clear plan, like they want to be a builder, they want to be a plumber.\u201d<\/p>\n Abercrombie said there are better outcomes for those who stay in schools<\/a> but it\u2019s good to see options for all students.<\/p>\n He\u2019s expecting the number of approved exemptions to keep increasing.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s just a symptom of a very stretched secondary sector, and the inability of it to currently meet the needs<\/a> of some of these students \u2013 so they\u2019re looking at other places to meet that.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would love a secondary system that meets the needs of all our young people, so they can succeed and be the best they can be, because that\u2019s what we need as a nation.\u201d<\/p>\n Abercrombie said there were a lot of hoops for students to get an exemption because New Zealand traditionally doesn\u2019t like children leaving school early<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s even already talk of increasing the leaving age to 17. That was one of the documents around the NCEA changes<\/a>, and so it is definitely a very difficult process to get that early exemption.\u201d<\/p>\n National polytech Te P\u016bkenga had 2276 15-year-olds studying in some capacity last year.<\/p>\n This included 184 students in its work-based learning division.<\/p>\n CEO Gus Gilmore said there was a range of entry requirements for programmes at Te P\u016bkenga<\/a>.<\/p>\n He said for lower-level qualifications, applicants may only require three years of secondary schooling, or evidence of a reasonable reading level to show they can follow instructions.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Te P\u016bkenga, we have a legislative responsibility to ensure equitable access to education and training for all learners including rangatahi and those underserved by the education system,\u201d Gilmore said.<\/p>\n \u201cNot all learners flourish in a traditional classroom setting, some may feel it does not meet their learning needs or life situation.<\/p>\n