KEY POINTS:
Students in youth apprenticeship scheme pilot programmes may start school early or finish late as well as working through their holidays.
The scheme, which lets students earn credits towards an apprenticeship while still at school, is part of the Government's multimillion-dollar "Schools Plus" plan by 2011 to keep all teenagers in formal education or training until they are 18.
The pilot is starting in about 10 schools this year. They will be joined by about 10 more next year.
It is envisaged every high school will have it by 2011.
The programme is one of several possible measures to address New Zealand's poor level of 15- to 19-year-olds in education in comparison to other OECD countries.
About 30 per cent of pupils leave school by 17, and about 40 per cent leave without getting NCEA Level 2.
The principal of James Cook High in Manurewa, Bryan Smith, said his school would offer the pilot to up to 60 students from next year.
It would require in-depth consultation with students and employers to create individual timetables.
Mr Smith said the school day could start early or finish late, and many pupils would not get school holidays.#"That's not a problem - a lot of our youngsters look forward to holidays and want them, but they do develop an element of boredom."
Mr Smith said the school already had a range of programmes - including a Services Academy that prepared Year 12s to enter the Defence Force or police - and was doing well in achieving its goal of retaining students.
He said it appeared the Schools Plus policy would enable James Cook High to develop further.
Many details of the Government's wide-ranging, multimillion-dollar plans are yet to be worked through, and a two-month consultation phase on it opened yesterday.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said the plan needed collaboration between schools, employers, training providers and other parties, but a "high level of commitment" had been shown.
"Schools Plus is one of the most far-reaching plans developed for our education system for many years," she said.
Education Minister Chris Carter said a goal was to make education increasingly relevant to students, and flexibility in the system was a key.
"Schools Plus is about putting them into that apprenticeship or putting them into that workplace and the kids saying, 'Hmm, I wouldn't mind being the manager here', or 'I wouldn't mind getting a better job than this - what do I need for that?"' said Mr Carter.
The discussion document on the proposals said the policy was not intended to force students to stay in school, but to ensure they got the most out of their time there.
"The education and training students receive will occur within and beyond school boundaries, although schools will be the first point of responsibility for managing the students by helping connect them with education and training opportunities," the document said.
