In other threads, I have advocated letting teenagers start work or
enter college earlier than they now do, depending on their abilities
and interests. A recent book "The Case Against Adolescence" by
psychologist Robert Epstein seems (I've only read an interview of him
at http://psychologytoday.com/articles/...=pto-4311.html )
to agree. In the interview, Epstein says

"I believe that young people should have more options-the option to
work, marry, own property, sign contracts, start businesses, make
decisions about health care and abortions, live on their own-every
right, privilege, or responsibility an adult has. I advocate a
competency-based system that focuses on the abilities of the
individual. For some it will mean more time in school combined with
work, for others it will mean that at age 13 or 15 they can set up an
Internet business. Others will enter the workforce and become some
sort of apprentice. The exploitative factories are long gone;
competent young people deserve the chance to compete where it counts,
and many will surprise us.

It's a simple matter to develop competency tests to determine what
rights a young person should be given, just as we now have competency
tests for driving. When you offer significant rights for passing such
a test, it's highly motivating; people who can't pass a high-school
history test will never give up trying to pass the written test at the
DMV, and they'll virtually always succeed. We need to offer a variety
of tests, including a comprehensive test to allow someone to become
emancipated without the need for court action. When we dangle
significant rewards in front of our young people-including the right
to be treated like an adult-many will set aside the trivia of teen
culture and work hard to join the adult world."