There are a number of reasons this anachronism is still around, and the pandemic made it abundantly clear what at least one of those reasons is — babysitting.

This. I work in mental health, some of the kids in school are simply never going to succeed in school, yet oddly, have a work ethic… a work ethic for something they enjoy or makes sense to do. I've worked with some 13-14yo (boys, especially) who we should be setting up in apprenticeships. The term vocation should be as commonly used as education.