As pupils and teachers presumably look forward to the end of the summer term, parents, who might be less enthusiastic at the thought of their offspring being off school for the next six weeks or so, may be dismayed at the thought that the school leaving age will rise to 17 from September.
The law change was drawn up in 2007 by the previous Labour government in response to concerns that too many young people between the ages of 16 and 18 were outside education, training or work.
Research has shown that young people who carry on learning or training until the age of 18 are likely to be healthier, earn more money and less likely to get into trouble with the police than those who leave school at 16.
The school leaving age has been raised several times, particularly in England and Wales. The first act to introduce and enforce compulsory attendance at school was the Elementary Education Act 1870, which required children to attend school until the age of 14.
The leaving age was then raised to 15 through the Education Act 1944 and to 16 in 1972, although because the last compulsory day that children must remain in school is the last Friday in June of the year they turn 16, those born between September and June could still be 15 when they leave.
It is also hoped that the raising of the school leaving age will cut the number of teenage pregnancies in the UK, which is one of the highest in Europe.
According to the results of separate research the rate of pregnancy in young women under the age of 20 declined by 7 per cent after the school leaving age was raised in 1972.