‘Conscript’ teenagers after school, says Fogle

YOUNG people should undertake a “conscriptiontype” year instead of staying on at school until they are 18, Ben Fogle has said.

The adventurer and television presenter told Calibre magazine: “If I went into politics – which I wouldn’t, because it’s a thankless task, but I’ve dabbled with the thought of it – I would scrap the education system’s insistence that everyone must do something up to age 18, turn it to 17, and that one year would become a voluntary service year.

“It would be a conscription-type year. You could spend a year either working in the NHS, or travelling with a purpose, doing some kind of aid work.

“At least six months of being out of your comfort zone, and involving travel of some kind, would benefit most people immeasurably.”

School leaving age was increased from 16 to 18 in 2015.