Children starting secondary schools in England this year will be the first to be legally required to stay in education until they are 17.
The rise in the leaving age is part of a previously announced government policy to have pupils continue in some form of education or training education to the age of 18.
This will take effect for school leavers from 2015.
As an interim step the age will rise to 17 from 2013 - the year in which those pupils starting secondary level education this year would otherwise have expected to be able to leave school.
The change will not mean that pupils have to stay in the classroom, but they will have to continue to receive training.
The changes have been introduced because ministers estimate there are some 189,500 young people aged between 16 and 18 who are not in education, employment or training.
The government says this is unacceptable if the UK is to successfully compete in global business markets - but the UK's other three education systems are not adopting the new policy.
The first five new diplomas being introduced - also in England only - relate to the employment sectors
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