Starting too early can harm students

I am deeply concerned at the Federal Government's intention to make the national school starting age four years six months.

Over 10 years ago, the NSW DET lowered the school starting age to four years six months.

Many parents took the opportunity to put their immature children into the school system too early.

Experienced, caring, nurturing teachers would prefer the school starting age be pushed back to five years.

There are many reasons.

The pressure on children at school is continually increasing.

They are less able to cope with the unrealistic expectations placed upon them at an earlier age.

Children who start early spend their school life competing with children up to 18 months older.

Parents who start their children early don't realise the long-term effect on children, who strive to do their best but will be judged as E or F on the new Federal School Report Cards.

Parents need to realise that preschools have child-to-teacher ratios half that of kindergartens.

Confidence at preschool does not necessarily translate into success at kindergarten.

Boys are adversely affected more, because they mature slower than girls.

There is a domino effect that sees immature children starting high school and less mature children going on to the higher school certificate.

It cannot do a child any harm to wait another year to start school but it can harm them to start too early.

Federal and State politicians now consider parents as clients and children as commodities.

Stephen Laming Horsfield Bay