England's education secretary Alan Johnson is said to be exploring ways to make it compulsory for all 16-year-olds to be in training or schooling.

The BBC reports that Johnson told political journalists it was unacceptable for a 16-year-old to be in employment without getting help with continued schooling or training for qualifications.

He reportedly sees it as the biggest issue for his department.

Latest figures, published in June, show 76.2% of 16 to 18-year-olds in England are in education or training, rather than in employment.

Whitehall is said to be in the early stages of looking at changes in law to raise the leaving age.