At what age should a child start school

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 16:00

The UK government has now proposed for children to start school at age 6 instead of 5 . Do you think this is a ploy to cut teachers jobs. Do you think the year will make a difference to the child.

smithy


Joined: 17/07/2008
Posts: 5301

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 16:09

I think the earlier the better, the first 5 years is when their little brains take in more

No way should it be 6 I started school at 4 and I was ready for it (so I was told)

Vidal


Joined: 14/05/2009
Posts: 867

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 16:17

Knowing this government, I would say yes Lilli. There was some research done some time ago comparing the development of children in Sweden I think it was. They start school much later than our kids but by the time they are eight they are at the same point with their three 'R's

The Scandinavians believe the childs physiological development is better having spent that extra time with mum.

In the UK poor mum has probably had to go back to work already! So for some UK kiddy, is it just another year of being at play school or with child minders??

Yellowbelly


Joined: 17/05/2009
Posts: 70

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 16:34

Can I just correct your facts here please Lili:

It isn't a Government proposal, it is a study carried out by Cambridge University. The findings, despite having the backing of the National Union of Teachers, have, in fact, been rejected by the Government.

Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "It is absolutely extraordinary that the government has decided to ignore the Cambridge Review recommendations."

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 16:39

Thank you yellowbelly. Trust me.Thank you for clearing it up only I was watching a debate and an Mp asked what age children shouold take exams and about the entrance at 6 came up so I assumed that it was the government not the study carried out.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 17:24

Most of my generation started school at around age 5 (actually I was three months shy of my fifth birthday). I spent the time up till then with my mum looking after me. I could recite the alphabet and read (apparently) before I started school. The point I'm getting at here is that I believe very few of my generation left school being illiterate or innumerate - unlike today. A record number of teenagers are leaving school not being able to read even basic things. I can't see that raising the school entry age to 6 is going to help matters?



It does make me wonder what the hell teachers are teaching kids in schools these days - before anyone says anything, I am not blaming the teachers - I wouldn't do their job for all the tea in China.



J

adagirl


Joined: 01/06/2009
Posts: 371

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 17:56

Having a late December birthday, and the school year beginning in September, I was always one of the oldest in my class. I can honestly say it didnt have any effect on me!! BUT, if a starting age of 6 is proposed, some of those children will be nearly 7 before they start school, and unless enrolled in a pre-school which actully teaches rather than "childminding" then I think that an almost 7 year old suddenly thrust into the system may cause problems.

ROBnJO


Joined: 30/06/2008
Posts: 1289

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 19:20

Personally I think children should be sent to Boarding School at age 1.



Thus enabling parents to use their nights more enjoyably for eating, drinking, sex and sleep!





In whatever order!

Woodspeckie


Joined: 25/01/2009
Posts: 2263

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 19:27

We had a Turkish girl aged 11 staying with us in the UK she had been to stay with her grandparents in Ireland for a month and had been to school, she started school at 7 she was in a class of 11 year olds in Ireland, the Maths to her were a doddle because she had done the same maths last year in Turkey.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 19:35

ROBnJO - that's the idea - toughen 'em up a bit, too



J

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
17/10/2009 23:44

My father was in the army so i had many different schools around the world. When ever I wert back to tjhe UK and placed in my year. I was always too bright that gave mes of problems My Army education gave me and made me what I am xxxxxxxxxxxx

Aysesdaddy



Joined: 21/03/2009
Posts: 392

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 15:02

Ayse started school when she was 4 and 3days old (birthday 29th August) It never did her any harm, she is 14 now and thankfully still enjoys school. I think 4/5 is the right age.

negativenick


Joined: 10/11/2008
Posts: 6023

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 15:21

i think 7....

ilovecyprus


Joined: 08/05/2007
Posts: 2880

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 15:48

msge 3



Vidal, I resonate with your comments. And just to add it does very much depend on the type of schooling. Testing and asking the kids to achieve grades at an early age, I believe to be damaging, perhaps with the kids reatining more narcisism than they should.



My encounters with Scandinavians lead me to believe that they are far more emotionally mature than us Brits. Many of them speak English as well as we do. I think we could learn allot from Scandinavians, not just in schooling.

Blackpoolfan


Joined: 03/12/2008
Posts: 1568

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 18:18

I think children should start nursery school early and be integrated into primary school from the age of 6. One point everyone is missing for example i am a school governor and my wife a teacher the stats suggest that 60% of children starting school cannot hold a knife and fork, write their own name, or toilet themselves !!!!!!!

Why is this because the parents cant be Bothered no social skills are being taught kids are left to their own devices or play stations and the parents that have made the effort with their own kids ie reading with them, playing with them etc have their own childs development slowed down while all the other kids play catch up..................

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
18/10/2009 23:56

Blackpool that is so sad we should educate the so called parents. How the hell the can afford all that beggers belief xxxxxxxxx

Raman


Joined: 01/06/2008
Posts: 10

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 00:17

The University's findings actually seem to be at odds with the Govt's own recent review as reported in the Daily Mail in May this year, which actually proposed lowering the starting age to 4 from 2011. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1175338/All-year-olds-free-start-school-September--summer-babies.html

Brinsley


Joined: 04/04/2009
Posts: 6858

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 00:30

I'm still a child, where shall I begin or start?



Richard

Lilli



Joined: 21/07/2008
Posts: 13081

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 00:34

Brins we all find the child within us eventally . Now start in the middle xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Oleander


Joined: 03/05/2009
Posts: 302

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 00:45

Around the age of 7. Brits send babies to school. Most of them have to do a 'Nursery Year' before going into the reception class. German kids used to start school much later (don't know if they still do) and still outshine their Brit counterparts very quickly.

Jeannie


Joined: 04/08/2009
Posts: 3283

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 02:23

Message 15 - Blackpoolfan



My son started 'play school' (which was private and paid for, since there were no state run nurseries in our area at that time) three afternoons a week, from aged 3. The main criteria for starting was that he had to have been toilet trained. It never ceases to amaze me that children start primary education (5 ish) who cannot go to the toilet unaided,cannot use a knife and fork and have no social skills whatsoever. Parents seem to think this is the schools' 'job'. I think, perhaps, that Scandinavian countries and several other European countries possibly have better facilities that enable mothers to stay and home with their children for longer and teach them these skills within the home. Although what the Welfare State in the UK would make of this is anyone's guess. I recently heard, in the street, a young mother bragging to her friends that her son (who had obviously just started school) had stopped swearing. I give up.

AlexF065


Joined: 07/09/2009
Posts: 271

Message Posted:
19/10/2009 04:04

I think that "play" groups are a waste of time But do think that a pre school group is good

I base this on my family members.

One Great-nephew went to a playgroup and the other Great-nephew went to a Montessori pre school nursery the diffrence between then was and continues to be astounding

Playgroup did not get into either of the local grammer schools Montessori had the choice of all three their Fathers are brothers one is a carpenter his wife is a hair dresser the other is a futures dealer and his wife was a receptionist neither of my nephews were any great shakes at school themselves while at the same time not stupid

I just feel it was the differing educational starts they both attended the same primary school 2 yrs apart

while one seemed to be learning small things the other was "Playing"