Jump to content
IGNORED

School starting age - spin off


Darryl

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 125
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • Lesley225

    11

  • Julie3Girls

    10

  • CrankyM

    8

  • Sincerely

    6

Top Posters In This Topic

Joeyinthesky

Six turning seven with the caveat that they have regular access to play-based group activities with their peer group from 4-5yr onwards - not ‘learning trying to be disguised as play’ but truly child-led and child-directed play environments.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kiwi Bicycle

Anytime after the age 5, but before they are 6. I believe early childhood education (play based) should at least start at age 3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jane Jetson

Same way it always was: five, or four turning five, and the curriculum fixed to that, rather than pushing ever onwards as people send their kids older and older.


Also: free preschool for the four-year-olds (and three turning four).... controversially, aligned to the concept that mummies have bloody jobs.


DD1 couldn't go to free preschool, because there was no Afters, and as well as the usual two days a week it was every second Wednesday, meaning that we'd have to pay for a LDC Wednesday every week even though she'd only access it 50% of the time. DD2 did it and at that point her grandparents were able to take her the second Wednesday. But that was just us being lucky that MIL had retired and was willing and able. Many don't have that luxury.


As it stands, primary school remains stubbornly addicted to the idea of the SAHM - not just in the expected free labour in the canteen etc, but in the idea that preschool is either for people who pay through the nose at LDC rates, or for SAHMs who can live with fluctuation and difficulty planning ahead.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LemonMyrtle

4 turning 5, but the first year of school needs to be an extension of kindergarten, more play, less learning.


We need to stop this whole push down curriculum thats happening. Parents need to stop expecting their kids to be reading and counting before they have even started school. We are expecting too much of young children. These days schools assume many of the 5 year olds they are receiving have had years of child care or kinder or other early education, and therefore they can read a bit, but that is not compulsory. Many kids don’t go to kinder or childcare, and that’s Ok. The expectations of young children need to be lowered, and teachers aren’t the problem. Parents are pushing for more at younger ages, and I hate it. Kindergartens now are expected to reach kids to read, and that’s wrong.


So I agree with joeyinthesky really, we need more pre-school playing, and less learning. Kids aren’t ready for it when they’re just turned 5. But I think being in the school environment is a great orientation, even if it’s not structured.


(I’m in Victoria)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I kind of wish it was based on skill, not age. Or that there was a clear cut age and not so much put back on us as parents.

4 turning 5 makes sense to me, though.

ETA: i have absolutely nothing to base this on except.my own education and seeing students at the 'top end' become bored when they turn 18 too early in year 12.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had one turn 18 in May of Year 12. I would have sent her as a 4 year old but the rules changed in Victoria and she had to do 2 years of 3 yr old kinder.

My second turned 18 in September of Year 12 and my third turned 19 in December of Year 12.

None of them were bored in Year 12, When they could drink made no difference as they are all non drinkers and in Year 12 it's all about driving and zero alcohol readings. Year 10 is the peak year for drunken rages at parties. It's the 16ths you have to watch out for.

So for my 3 I'd say the two younger ones started at the right time for them. My daughter could have started as a younger prep, but the choice was taken away from me as kids have to be 5 by April 30th in Victoria to start in prep.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ArabellaKagical

from 4 turning 5


The irony of the push to have kids start later so there is more play based learning is that it causes the first years of school to be less play based - the older kids often already know how to do some basic reading and writing, they are ready to learn more and move beyond play based learning.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Same way it always was: five, or four turning five, and the curriculum fixed to that, rather than pushing ever onwards as people send their kids older and older.


Also: free preschool for the four-year-olds (and three turning four).... controversially, aligned to the concept that mummies have bloody jobs.


DD1 couldn't go to free preschool, because there was no Afters, and as well as the usual two days a week it was every second Wednesday, meaning that we'd have to pay for a LDC Wednesday every week even though she'd only access it 50% of the time. DD2 did it and at that point her grandparents were able to take her the second Wednesday. But that was just us being lucky that MIL had retired and was willing and able. Many don't have that luxury.


As it stands, primary school remains stubbornly addicted to the idea of the SAHM - not just in the expected free labour in the canteen etc, but in the idea that preschool is either for people who pay through the nose at LDC rates, or for SAHMs who can live with fluctuation and difficulty planning ahead.

 


Crazy, isn't it. Almost like an alternate world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've had one turn 18 in May of Year 12. I would have sent her as a 4 year old but the rules changed in Victoria and she had to do 2 years of 3 yr old kinder.

My second turned 18 in September of Year 12 and my third turned 19 in December of Year 12.

None of them were bored in Year 12, When they could drink made no difference as they are all non drinkers and in Year 12 it's all about driving and zero alcohol readings. Year 10 is the peak year for drunken rages at parties. It's the 16ths you have to watch out for.

So for my 3 I'd say the two younger ones started at the right time for them. My daughter could have started as a younger prep, but the choice was taken away from me as kids have to be 5 by April 30th in Victoria to start in prep.

 

I agree about the drinking and driving.


The young these days .... they are amazing they way they've adapted to people at parties not drinking. There was massive peer group pressure prior to that to at least have a drink in your hand, especially when I was that age and there wasn't even a .05 rule.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I really don't care whether it is 4, 5 or 6, but I do believe it should be a strict 12 month age range and be consistently applied across all the states.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Princess Peach

Our school does have a reasonably good play based curriculum at least for the first semester of prep, so the Victoria cut off date of 5 by 30 April would work well - plus it seems to be what happens anyway now.


Kids would be 4 & 9 months starting (term 1 usually starts after Australia Day) &. They would then all be 5 early on in term 2.


Can I add another controversial subject - full time teacher aids for not just FYOS, but up to year 2. Compensating for the fact there seems to be a lot of kids who are undiagnosed until 7 or 8, but they need extra help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Julie3Girls

I actually don’t mind the nsw cutoffs - turning 5 by end of July (maybe bring that back a month or so), to start, or the year they turn 6. Basically the kids born in the first half of the year have that option to start 4 turning 5 or 5 turning 6, and everyone has started by age 6.

Yes, it can create an up to 18 month age gap, but it does give that little bit of flexibility for the kids who turn 5 in the first half of the year.

I do think there should be a bit more enforcement, and maybe a bit more advise to parents for the kids who have an option - so much creep happening at the older end, dd had a child in her year start at 6yrs 3 months. No special needs reason, just mum wanting him to be older “to be a leader” (yes, the mum actually said this to me).

Given there was also a child who wasn’t turning 5 until mid July, that was a pretty huge age range. Add to that the younger child actually did have learning issues, and really should have waited, but the parents couldn’t afford another year of daycare.

But outside of the extreme exceptions, for the most part I think the start range works ok.


Nsw does need to do more for funding a year of preschool before school. Free govt preschools are virtually non existent, the only options are the standard preschools which do school hours with no extra care, or a childcare centre. And the cost does have an impact on when parents choose to start their child at school (for the kids where they have a choice)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Kerilyntaryn21

Yes the kids over 17 in year 12, usually cause the most issues and are bored, don't like displine, and don't like being told what to do,

mine started at 4 and finished at 16

 

I kind of wish it was based on skill, not age. Or that there was a clear cut age and not so much put back on us as parents.

4 turning 5 makes sense to me, though.

ETA: i have absolutely nothing to base this on except.my own education and seeing students at the 'top end' become bored when they turn 18 too early in year 12.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Given the prevalence of composite classes, I would like a looser start date. My kids had classmates starting with late April birthdays and September birthdays from the previous year. So a range of 4.75 to 6..25 and it was no big deal. The caveat is that it was mostly older kids (not necessarily the oldest) who were elected in Grade 6. I'd like to see all the various captains and vice captains done away with anyway.

Kids getting bored at the end of their schooling is a new one for me. Is it the age or would they have been bored anyway?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here it is 5 or turning 5 by the end of July, but the real issue is the push down of the curriculum as mentioned by others. With that comes unrealistic behavioural expectations and kids getting into trouble for things beyond their control.


There's also a pretty big issue with children coming to school with weak fine and gross motor skills and there is so little time to help strengthen them when you are so heavily focussed on the academics.


I think 5 is fine, but there needs to be more quality play based learning and appropriate expectations.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think starting age should be looser than it is because different kids need different things. 6 turning 7 is way too late for some and perfect for others. 4 turning 5 is perfect for some and too soon for others.


I live in Canberra where our earlier cut off (30 April) means my May twins are the oldest in their year, across the border they would be amongst the youngest in the year above. Which would be FYOS this year. One would have gladly gone and gets frustrated that they aren’t learning to read at preschool. The other has the attention span of a gnat and I am very glad isn’t in FYOS this year. It will do her good to be older.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for starting the spinoff!


I would love to see more of the why, and what the benefits of your choice have been? Particularly in Vic if you have a pre-30 April baby and what decision you went with and if it's worked out?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think 5 turning 6 is fine. There's no way DD was ready at 4, she struggled at 5 turning 6, even after Playschool and preschool the 2 years before.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fruitmincepies

WA has a very rigid school starting age, as well as kindy (pre-school) usually on the primary school site. DD’s experience of starting school was great, and I wish more kids could have similar. She was one of the youngest, and started kindy at 3.5yo, and pre-primary (FYOS) at 4.5yo. It was entirely play-based in kindy, and very heavily play-based in PP (more teaching and focus on school skills towards the end of the year).


I think it works well with experienced early childhood teachers, dedicated teachers aides, a separate early learning area within the school, and play-based learning. I know at DD’s old school the early childhood teachers are working to push play-based learning upwards, as the 6, 7 and 8 year olds still benefit from play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

YodaTheWrinkledOne

Spin-off: What age should children start at school?

For Kinder/Prep (the year before Year 1) - the year the child turns 6. ie. such that the large majority will have the same birth year, so there is a 12 month age difference with most of the kids, rather than the current 18-19 month age difference that is currently permitted within some states.


When kids are younger, an 18 month age difference can be huge, in terms of social skills, maturity, emotional control, abilities, etc. Even when they are 12/13/14, an 18 months is still pretty big, particularly when they are going through puberty.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Advertisement

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.


×
×
  • Create New...