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Plan to align School starting ages nationwide
Topic Started: Jun 4 2006, 10:23:22 AM (1,869 Views)
ABCDiamond
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Age plan to align nation's schools

04jun06

PRIMARY school enrolment ages will be standardised across the country under a bold new plan to be put to the states by Federal Education Minister Julie Bishop.

Ms Bishop will argue there are major economic and educational benefits that will flow from the standardisation of enrolment ages.

It's expected she will nominate four years and six months as the optimum age at which children should start school when she meets state and territory education ministers next month.

Ms Bishop's campaign for a national uniform system follows a report into the issue commissioned by the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs.

A copy of the executive summary, obtained by The Sunday Mail, describes the current system as a "patchwork" and says that while a standard entry age would be expensive to implement, the benefits would include "a better educated, higher skilled, better adjusted and more productive citizenry".

http://www.thesundaymail.news.com.au/commo...255E903,00.html
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Hevs
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Miraculous Mamma Mod

So do different states start at different times now then?
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ABCDiamond
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I do keep hearing that WA starts very different to us, but most kids of my daughters age are in the same year no matter where they live :unsure:

I am, consequently, slightly confused by this.
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Bridiej
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Chattermonster Extraordinaire!

They keep saying how it's going to cost more money, so why dont they make it 5 years, then they'll save some... :huh:
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Nicky
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Here kids have to start school the year that they turn 6 and it is getting more and more common to hold your child back until the last min before sending them to school. Our youngest will be starting at 4 turning 5 and will almost certainly be the youngest in the year, any move to make parents send their children to school sooner will be taken very badly here. Teachers seem the most happy to hold kids back saying that the extra year makes school life in general easier for the children as they are that bit more mature and able to cope with education at the various levels that bit better. Our 7 year old has been held back last year and is now in the class that he would have been had he started at 5 turning 6 and this seems to suit him.
I like the flexibility that the system has here compared to the UK where kids are forced to start school regardless of their readiness so I hope that it doesn't change too much.
Nicky
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ABCDiamond
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Some info from an Australian site:

Quote:
 
The main criterion over time has been the age of the child.
Some states offer school entry as early as 4 years and 7 months, while here in NSW 4 years and 9 months is the earliest age of entry.
There is an exception to this, namely when a child is gifted, and in this case early entry to school can be requested.
In some countries, children start school much later.
In Germany intake time is at 6 years of age, and in Sweden, Norway and Finland children start as late as 7 years of age.
So as can be seen, the age criterion has little to do with the child’s readiness or abilities


Quote:
 
A final word on readiness:
Even if children do not seem ready for school, there is a possibility that attending school will actually mature them.
However, most parents, want the transition to school to be smooth and easy. In this case, delaying school for one year would be an option.
This option, though will only come once, because whatever their level of readiness, children in NSW must be enrolled at a school by the time they turn 6 years of age


In QLD a child must be 5 years old before starting Year One.
In WA the earliest a child could start Year One, would be 5yrs and 7 months (Depending on exact date of birth)
VIC quotes the earliest as being 4yrs and 9 months
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Bridiej
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Chattermonster Extraordinaire!

I like the fact the kids are a bit older before they go to school, I think 4 years old is far too young....
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buzzy--bee


Hmmmm

My understanding was that in VIC they start school in the year when they are 6 on April 30th.

As our pair of girls have their birthday on May 16th, this means that they won't start school until they are almost 7 ???

Or have I misunderstood?

:beercheers:

Buzzy
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ABCDiamond
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This is the info I have previously found for Victoria

Government schools welcome enrolments for children who turn five years of age by April 30 of the year in which they start school. Children between the age of six and 15 years must attend school.

Victoria - http://www.det.vic.gov.au

Based on that, it is possible for a child, with an April Birthday, to start school at the age of 4 yrs 9 months. Very similar to mine.

By Law, all Children in Australia, no matter what State, MUST have started by the time they reach 6 years of age.

Whoever said 7 years to you, got it wrong ;)

With yours being May 16th, they would start at the end of January being 5yrs 8months old.

If you go to a private school, you may be allowed to start a year earlier, depending on how well advanced the children are.

My daughter is May 26th, and she started full time schooling at 4yrs 8months, in NSW.
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Hevs
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Miraculous Mamma Mod

Bridiej
7th June, 2006 - 01:29pm
I like the fact the kids are a bit older before they go to school, I think 4 years old is far too young....

You don't have any kids yet do you Bridie :wink: :o :D
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Hutch
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Our Josh's birthday is the 29th of August and he'll be five this year. He started at primary here and was the youngest in the school by some margin - despite that, he fared better than some kids that were nearly a year older than him. We've already spoken to the headmaster at Berry Public School and he's more than happy to take Josh pretty much as soon as we arrive. In the grand scheme of things we wouldn't have sent Josh to school when we did if we had a choice, but over here, if you hold them back a year (as you are entitled to) you then loose all choice when it comes to the school they get sent to. So it was swings and roundabouts. That said, he's come on leaps and bounds, loves schools, has loads of friends, is learning to read and write well and is a rung further up the ladder than he would have been if we'd kept him in nursery a year longer. :)
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