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Raising the age to start school
Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jan 10 2008 at 5:03 PM
Latest News >> Education in Spain

The general belief is that the earlier a child begins education then the more they will learn and therefore are more likely to become more intelligent - but this belief is a product of historical precedent rather than based on any understanding of child development. In the Uk, the starting age for children is the term after their fifth birthday; in practice most english children now begin school by the age of four. There is a growing consensus among teachers and psychologists that children are being pushed into formal education too early. International studies show that children who enter school later do better at reading and the countries highest on the international education league table start schooling at 6 or 7 years of age. This evidence suggests that children in the UK are actually disadvantaged by starting school earlier than their international friends. The research certainly encourages learning before the age of 6, but this learning is best achieved through interaction with other children and educative play rather than formal education. And while governments have been willing to radically change many parts of the education system, especially with regards to 14-16 year olds and the college environment, they must now address the entirety of the education process as it would seem that all work and no play will do little Jonny more harm than good!