Children should start school at 6, says academic

[Simona]

I am all for it and in line with the rest of the world...
wouldn't that also bring down the cost of childcare if we kept children until reception at 5 rather than the constant fragmentation we have now with children staying for just a couple of years then moving here and there?
Settings would be full and children learning through play, ready for school when emotionally intelligent and less 'intervention'?

Children should start school at age 6, says academic (http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/general-coffeehouse-chat-514/news-current-affairs-topical-discussion-12/948071-children-should-start-school-age-6-says-academic.html#post9402127)

[supermumy]

My own children started school term before their 4th birthday full time nursery and they was more than ready for that next step and probably glad to get away from my cm business haha
End of day it is my compulsory to send a child to school until 5 anyway
And where their is no school their is need for new childcare Places or more stay at home parents either way it gonna cost :)

[zippy]

I am all for it and in line with the rest of the world...
wouldn't that also bring down the cost of childcare if we kept children until reception at 5 rather than the constant fragmentation we have now with children staying for just a couple of years then moving here and there?
Settings would be full and children learning through play, ready for school when emotionally intelligent and less 'intervention'?

Children should start school at age 6, says academic (http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/general-coffeehouse-chat-514/news-current-affairs-topical-discussion-12/948071-children-should-start-school-age-6-says-academic.html#post9402127)

Haha, so misread that title thought you meant 6am eyes nearly popped out of my head

[tulip0803]

In Wales they do not start formal teaching until 7 (junior year) with the Foundation Phase (based on kindergarten) running from 3-7 years which I think is great. BUT the children still have to be in school by the term after their 5th birthday and in my area they take them into school the term that they turn 4 years:( and in others they only have a Sept intake so could be just 3 years:eek:. Although it is not "formal learning" until the start of junior they still tend to be in school following the Foundation Phase, parents choose this because it is free from 8-3 so no childcare costs except after-school (the Welsh assembly govt fund free breakfast clubs too)and holidays. So in reality we have children for much less time than I did in England and parents are unlikely to want it to change here as it would cost them more than it does now.

There are no desks in the infant classes. They work in small groups of about 8 with a TA and the teacher overseeing. They spend a lot of time outside and out and about in the village:).

[The Juggler]

I am all for it and in line with the rest of the world...
wouldn't that also bring down the cost of childcare if we kept children until reception at 5 rather than the constant fragmentation we have now with children staying for just a couple of years then moving here and there?
Settings would be full and children learning through play, ready for school when emotionally intelligent and less 'intervention'?

Children should start school at age 6, says academic (http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/general-coffeehouse-chat-514/news-current-affairs-topical-discussion-12/948071-children-should-start-school-age-6-says-academic.html#post9402127)

i'm all for the starting school at 6 but it won't reduce childcare costs hon. Parents would have an extra year of full day care costs :panic:

[bindy]

I too agree with starting at age 6. What I don't understand about parents is when they say " my child is ready and needs something else" Why are parents not providing that something else? Are they not capable of stimulating their child? Time and time again, research shows children do so much better when they start school later. I think it's around 10 years old our children start laggin behind and never catch up with the rest of the world, even countries like Poland. The government know the reason why but will not change it, most parents will be up in arms if they have to actually look after their children an extra 1 or 2 years. Also the government want mothers out working to pay their taxes! Now kids have to stay in some kind of education until 18, its time to rise the age of starting school. I do understand some children are better off at school than at home at any age!

[Simona]

Bindy...I agree with you so much!!

Look at the comments from parents in that Netmums article....'my child gets bored with me'...'playgroup' would be boring'..........what rubbish!!! sorry for my strong view

Children get bored only if not stimulated or have inappropriate activities to do or parents too busy to give them quality time, or put in front of IT screens as an alternative....or when constantly told 'you are going to BIG school soon because you are a BIG boy'

Often people say 'my child is ready for school' but why? if we can't try school at 6 then we will never know if ready at 4 is really true or something the govt is brainwashing us to believe...but whatever they say they cannot alter child development or produce evidence that school at 3 or even 2 is beneficial!

Would Truss dare to run a research on two groups of children: one going to high quality settings until 5 and school at 6 and the other with children in school at 2....

I wonder how Finnish children survive until age 7 ?? and then to top it all within months they reach the top of the world league tables for reading skills and attainment
I wonder why everything in Finland appears to be child centred?

Yes parents would have 1 more year of childcare but schools would be able to accommodate their primary school children so their funding would move to us and if the FE was reviewed to cover costs the govt would make savings...with her degree in economics Truss should knows this very well...