Whats the best age for a child to go to School? Would a compulsory age help parents?
Posted by Shika Budhoo on Friday, May 4, 2018
In my personal opinion: No it wouldn't be easier with a compulsory age.
Imposing a compulsory age to start school, I think, will cause more harm. Sending a child to creche in their formative years has become a norm in current society, which I think has spurred this urgency of "going to big school" and in turn it has made some parents 'education crazy'.
I am also a drama coach who uses drama games and techniques to help shape my son's interactions with his world. I am fortunate enough to be home with him during these early years. I enforce 'no pressure play' with discipline paired with manners. I am in the thick of helping him discover how to interact with his world constructively and coaching him on how to handle his extreme emotions (which are many at this tender age of 3). I do this all in the hopes that when he does get to preschool and grade 1 he will be able to think for himself about the world he interacts with without me there to guide him.
I am in no way a perfect mom and we don't have complete perfect days, tantrums happen on his part and frustrations both for my son and myself occur, in it I am teaching him to recognise the good days and bad days and manage his emotions within those frames.
I think children (like adults) develop at their own pace and sending them to primary school needs to happen on a "monitoring basis". Make the decision as you see fit, taking note of the emotional and social maturity in your child to handle the pressures of Grade 1.
Sending a child to school earlier than they are ready is like asking an adult to start a 4 year course in the 2nd year. All the foundations for the course are lost and makes the following 3 years an unnecessary battle.
Learning is truly fun and if children are emotionally and socially prepared for the 1st of the 12 years of academics they face, they pick up life skills along the way without the distractions of immaturity. In this way the learning becomes a way of life rather than something separate to life. Just my thoughts on the matter...
(This was my response on a Facebook posts that many found interesting to read and upon their suggestion I posted it to my blog for a wider audience.)
Imposing a compulsory age to start school, I think, will cause more harm. Sending a child to creche in their formative years has become a norm in current society, which I think has spurred this urgency of "going to big school" and in turn it has made some parents 'education crazy'.
I am also a drama coach who uses drama games and techniques to help shape my son's interactions with his world. I am fortunate enough to be home with him during these early years. I enforce 'no pressure play' with discipline paired with manners. I am in the thick of helping him discover how to interact with his world constructively and coaching him on how to handle his extreme emotions (which are many at this tender age of 3). I do this all in the hopes that when he does get to preschool and grade 1 he will be able to think for himself about the world he interacts with without me there to guide him.
I am in no way a perfect mom and we don't have complete perfect days, tantrums happen on his part and frustrations both for my son and myself occur, in it I am teaching him to recognise the good days and bad days and manage his emotions within those frames.
I think children (like adults) develop at their own pace and sending them to primary school needs to happen on a "monitoring basis". Make the decision as you see fit, taking note of the emotional and social maturity in your child to handle the pressures of Grade 1.
Sending a child to school earlier than they are ready is like asking an adult to start a 4 year course in the 2nd year. All the foundations for the course are lost and makes the following 3 years an unnecessary battle.
Learning is truly fun and if children are emotionally and socially prepared for the 1st of the 12 years of academics they face, they pick up life skills along the way without the distractions of immaturity. In this way the learning becomes a way of life rather than something separate to life. Just my thoughts on the matter...
(This was my response on a Facebook posts that many found interesting to read and upon their suggestion I posted it to my blog for a wider audience.)
Tags: school compulsory age children primary preprimary parenting
