Children Should Start School Later At 6 Or 7 Years Old...

[Gromit]

...to allow them to develop through play.

Many countries who out perform us educationally, actually start formal teaching later than we do. A group of educationalists is calling for the age we send our children to school to be raised to the same as the Scandinavian countries, claiming the children will attain better results.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/educationnews/10302249/Start-schooling-later-than-age-five-say-experts.html

Do you agree?

[mikey4444]

Thanks sqad...I do try to make people smile, although I am not always successful.

On the issue of children playing out in the street. I don't know where all of us live here in AB-land, but I live on a very mixed estate. Some private and some Council, none of it very "posh" But there always loads of kids playing outside. Perhaps its only in middle-class areas where parents are too afraid to allow their kids some fresh air.

[ummmm]

I live in a terraced street. Kids couldn't play football in the street like we did. Too many cars.

When I was a kid hardly anyone had a car so the streets were more or less empty. It's not safe for kids to be running in and out around parked cars with cars driving up and down the street all day.

[naomi24]

Middle class people aren't afraid to allow their children some fresh air. They just don't want them roaming the streets unsupervised.

[Octavius]

Where I live we all have big gardens with trampolines, slides, swings and other bits and pieces (playhouses, ball games etc etc) the children take turns in getting fresh air in each other gardens. I wouldn't let my children play in the front street (they are 6 and 4) because its just too dangerous as nobody seems to notice that going slower around residential areas is safer.

[Gromit]

We can all contrast our own play and safety with modern childrens'.

Do you think todays parents are more educated about the safety of their children, or less?

[vulcan42]

I agree naomi, parents don't want their children roaming the streets unsupervised and children are not getting the chance to interact and play until they go to school. Raising the school age will only exacerbate the problem.

[naomi24]

I don't see why, Vulcan. As has been said most children attend play groups every morning, and people who don't let their kids play in the street have their friends in.

[belrec]

My boy is 4 and a half and has just started school this week. The first year is called reception and is basically playing with socialising and a bit of learning thrown in.

They wil be taught to read and basic maths etc but it is very light not much more than a pre school would give. But the real work starta in year 1 when the children are 5, which is probably a much more realistic age for the levels of concentration needed.

Plus many children now do have parents that work either full time or part time and are familiar with nursery, child minder or preschool settigns and are very ready to take that next step.

I was a late august baby and started at 4 didnt stop me doing well and i was very ready to go then.

[ck1]

Regardless of the age they start school, a significant factor is how much support the children get from parents at home. Most of the classroom activities, especially in reception / yr 1 are based around elements of play. The children who underperform in class generally have the parents who are moaning about not having enough time in the week to read with their kids, or that there is too much homework to do etc etc. Maybe the Scandinavians just have better teaching methods? If a bunch of Scandinavian children were brought over to UK schools to start at age 6, would they still outperform the British children?

[Octavius]

belrec, my youngest has started half days and goes full time next week, we call it Foundation, and she loves it. She has already made more new friends and now has 4 birthday parties to attend in the next few weeks! I don't see how holding her back for another year and a half would help with her social development, and creative play, and academia will come soon enough.

[belrec]

Octavius that is great. Glad she is doing well. My boy is enjoying it too and knows the names of the children he sits next to and chats to them in the playground.

I do feel that girls are readier at an earlier age my girl was nearly 5 when she started and could really have gone the year before.

I agree that it is at least half the parents' responsibility to support children at home as well.

In my daughters class last year (year 2) there were children who still could barely read because their parents for whatever reason weren't encoraging them at home.

Its shocking.

[Octavius]

To be fair, some young children just don't like reading. My eldest can read, she just doesn't enjoy it fully yet and finds it boring. We have hunted high and low to find books that provide added interest. The One Direction annual is winning so far!

[belrec]

Crikey dont mention 1D never hear the end of it :-).

My girl loves reading and does it loads, I think once my boy realises how much he can learn about trains then he will love reading.

BTW sorry to Gromit for going off topic x

[ToraToraTora]

No

[Gromit]

No problem belrec, good posts.

[ichkeria]

I'm no expert but I'm inclined to agree - and I am certainly more than relaxed about our 5-year old son not becoming an IT nerd before his 6th birthday :-)
It seems to be a "British" thing - more of something must necessarily mean "better". Germany is one of many countries where children start sc hool later, moreover they more shorter (but probably harder) hours too - and they don't seem to do badly ...

[ichkeria]

they "work" shorter hours (the grown-ups that is)

[boxtops]

The cost of child care would be prohibitive for most parents (or for employers who help with child care vouchers) for those extra years. Working less hours wouldn't cover the costs. Many parents don't have a choice about both parents working these days, not for luxuries but for necessities.

[ichkeria]

Of course in Germany, for example, it's more common for only one parent to work, and also, child care is not the rip-off it is here.

Like I say, they don't do badly.
But a different culture and mentality of course ...