Why do you have to be 16 leave school?

In many countries, there's no legal requirement to leave school at 16. The compulsory school leaving age varies significantly across the world. Some countries require students to stay in school until 16, others until 18, and some have even higher ages. Even within countries with a 16-year-old leaving age, there might be exceptions or pathways allowing students to continue their education. So, the statement "you have to be 16 to leave school" is not universally true.