-
Janette posted an update 4 years, 5 months ago
Can anyone help me with my book research? I’ve come across a fatal flaw in my book and need to age up a character a little (otherwise it’s a full book rewrite, which I’m trying to avoid).
Did anyone (or anyone you know) leave school in Summer when you could have/were due to leave in the Easter break?
My MC leaves at Summer, but I need to add some months to her age which would have meant she left at Easter, which I’d rather avoid, if possible. I’d rather not sweep over this issue and create a sticking point for a possible future reader. I know it sounds minor, but happenings in the already developed story would have to be re-thought.
Skip to content
I can’t think leaving at Easter would’ve been that likely, because of ‘O’levels.
Hi, Sandra,
I was one of the ones who had to stay on an extra year and leave aged 16 (in June 1974 – oops, showing my age!), which I was pleased about because I wanted to sit exams and my parents wanted me to leave to earn a wage. It was a common thing then, that some kids were expected to leave the earliest opportunity to ‘bring home a wage’, and prior to that at least, if you reached school leaving age before the end of January, in my region, you could leave at Easter. My husband did, aged 15, but he can’t remember if it was compulsory.
I’d like to age up my MC, but doing so, if I were being accurate, would have her leaving at Easter and it would send the timings all out on what I have already written. It would practically mean a re-write. So, I’m trying to think of a reason why she might stay on until Summer and her parents allow it. I realise I could gloss over the facts, but a niggle won’t allow me to, so would prefer it if I could wind it around fact.
Some feedback already received is suggesting it might be a regional thing as well as an age one.
I was 16 at Easter 1963, so can’t help you there, sorry.
Steve says school leaving age was 15, but you could stay on. Also see wikipedia Raising_of_school_leaving_age_in_England_and_Wales
Thanks, Sandra. I’m trying to find someone who could have or did leave at Easter. Better still, someone who remembers if it was mandatory or whether there were exceptions. My MC wants to stop on, but her parents are insistent she leaves asap. However, if something meant she couldn’t or shouldn’t leave at Easter …
It’s a long shot, and I’m fast realising I may just have to forget Easter leaving and hope the readership does too.
I don’t think it’s ever been mandatory to leave at Easter – short of expulsion. You are required to choose your subjects for a full year well in advance of Easter, so that staying on is the default position, even if it’s obvious to all that a specific student is going to leave. In theory, I could have left school at Easter in 1972, but at that stage I was well into the schoolwork for exams beyond that point and my parents would have had to make a clear decision to take me out.
With your story, the only thing that comes to mind would be if there was a local employer that paid very good wages but required “O” levels or whatever.
Thanks, Ath, that’s very helpful. My MC is being pressured by her parents to leave school and earn a wage, but the employer/employment route might be the way to go. Pity I didn’t think of this when I drafted the book.