[aephi alum]

It's an interesting idea, but I'm not sure how well it would work.

One thing I didn't see in the article (maybe I missed it) is - what happens if you graduate from high school before turning 18? Would you be forced to go on to college or become an apprentice? I was still 17 when I graduated from HS - not because I skipped any grades, but because I was born just before the cut-off date. Kids who do skip grades could graduate HS at 16, 15, or even 13 (I know someone who did this).

I don't like the idea of punishing the parents for the child's misdeeds. Like Dee said, there's very little a parent can do to make sure their kids actually attend class, short of marching them into the classroom and sitting there with them all day - and even then, the kid is not necessarily paying attention. (Now, if a parent is actively helping his kid play hooky, that's another story.)

I do like the idea of not allowing dropouts to have driver's licenses. Most kids that age are all about being able to drive. Threaten to take away their licenses and maybe they'll think twice about staying in school.