Coronation Street

Another soap, another two soap teens drop out of school after Year 11 - this time David and Rosie. What sort of message is this sending out to people that age, and what are the soaps going to do when the school leaving age goes up?

Well if goes up... I think raising the school-leaving age to 18 is only a prosposal at this stage ?

Also I thought Rosie was working at Underworld as a summer job, I sure she said that to Carla? Confusion aside, I do take your point. Todd managed Sixth Form, I imagine that Chesney and Sophie will do so too.

However, if people want to leave school at 16 that's their choice of course; some people who leave at 16 fare better than those who have gone through uni these days!

I think it's gone beyond the proposal stage, though when it will be enacted remains to be seen.


In the case of Rosie I don't think so, as Sally demanded rent payments from her. Rosie would have been the more obvious candidate for sixth form than her chavvy sister - especially with her private school education. And of course Chesney's future is uncertain pending the departure of Cilla.


True in some cases, though I come from a family where most of my cousins have left at 16 and have ended up doing the same sort of jobs as their parents. When I finished Year 11 (fifth year as it was then) there was no decision to be made. In fact I ended up repeating my A-level year due to illness! Leaving school at 16 cuts off the university option and with it the career doors a degree can open.

Thanks for clearing those things up Wasn't sure what Rawseh's future was going to involve!

It depends what you want to do when you leave school I suppose, and of course there is nothing stopping you from leaving after A-levels. I know somebody who did just that, and she now co-manages a chain of travel agents.

I take on board what you say, but sadly most of my uni peers are doing jobs that they could have done after leaving school-- not out of choice (although it's better than being on the dole of course)

I'm just suspicious of the government's (well was Blair's) drive to get every schoolkid to go to university. If everyone gets a degree, then I feel it devalues the degree; it makes harder for employers to potential employees, and harder for graduates to get a job.

I have found from experience that these days employers are more interested in your experience than your degree I'm afraid to say; they seem to regard a degree as a footnote when I've been interviewed. In that respect leaving school at 16 gives you an advantage, because you have five years experience over somebody fresh out of uni.

Please don't think I'm slagging off degrees, I'm just trying to be realistic. Of course uni does open doors for you-- especially in specialised careers. Even potential plumbers and electricians tend to have to go to college, since apprenticeships are dying out these days.

However I think the whole notion of pressuring people into going to uni/staying on isn't right-- especially when finding work as a graduate is becoming increasingly difficult (not much comfort when you're saddled with a huge debt from uni!)

I think at 16 you know whether you are academically minded... if you are doing "the same sorts of jobs as your parents", is that a problem as long as your earning money and enjoying your work? I don't think it is.

I just think people should be free to make up their own minds, rather than be hectored by the government. After all Alan Sugar and Richard Branson left at 16, and they have hardly done badly for themselves!

Oh yes-- Coro was good tonight! Very poignant scenes with Steve & Eileen, blended with the tragi-comedy of Angela's death. "Under par" gag made me LOLish.

I thought steve mcdonald was only married twice?

Three times - twice to Karen.

I never suggested uni was the be all and end all - although there are some professions, ie. teaching, which are a closed shop for graduates. I myself was browbeaten into going to university by a school that was desperate to put as high a number of "ex-students just started higher education" on its external marketing. Whether university was right for me wasn't their prime concern. I ended up leaving due to illness.

That said, I still favour a raised school leaving age. Contrary to what some believe, it does NOT mean everyone has to stay in school proper until 18 - they would, as they do now, be able to go to sixth form colleges and have the option of vocational training at 16 with a recognised qualification at the end, and a chance to take things higher. Indeed, some people aren't suited to academic studies but would shine "learning a trade".

It would seem Sally assumes Rosie is going to 6th form when Rosie has other idears.

saw a bit of corry filming today, just extras waiting for the Weatherfield Stagecoach bus and somebody getting off it.

a bit like in australia where pupils take the hsc at 18 but they do have the option of leaving at 16 to take up apprenticeships only!!

I certainly enjoyed the Malta storyline. Sue Cleaver and Simon Gregson certainly work well together and their characters play off each other to great comedic effect.

I see that Norris's ex (and Dereks), Angela has died in the show.

I can't actually visualise Angela any longer although I know she appeared in the show, and was meant to be keen on golf. Although she was married to Derek, I don't believe we actually saw Norris and Angela married on screen did we ? It was back in the day when he was a relatively minor character I think, when Norris used to refer to Derek as "Dirk".

It's this storyline that will see Keith Barron's character come in as one of Angelas other ex husbands.

Angela was spoken about often by Derek and Mavis from about 1986 but never seen on screen until about 1994! I dont think we ever saw Norris's wedding to Angela on screen no.