Options after year 10

When your son or daughter reaches 17 years of age, they are legally permitted to leave school.

NSW legislation also requires that a young person completes year 10. For young people who have completed year 10 but have not reached 17 years of age there are a number of options. They are required to do one of the following on a full time basis:

complete the HSC (years 11 and 12) at school or at TAFE,
take some TAFE subjects as part of the HSC while still enrolled at school,
leave school to begin vocational education, for example at TAFE or a private college,
leave school to take a new apprenticeship or cadetship,
leave school to begin work, or
undertake a combination of work and further education or training.

Making this decision can be time-consuming. As early as years 9 and 10, encourage your son or daughter to start thinking about what they will do when they leave school.

Even if your son or daughter is planning to complete years 11 and 12, exploring their options earlier will help them choose HSC subjects and prepare for leaving school.

Find out more about HSC subject choice.