School starting age - going around in circles

Lisha wrote: »

My daughter is an April bday and she went to school at 5.5 and no way was she too old. My son is a September bday and I often think that a few months would have stood to him. But fair enough 6 would be too old. Was only talking about this with work colleagues this week and a girl who sent her son at 4.5 really regrets and school are encouraging her to hold him back a year. In my opinion any child born after Xmas should wait til they gone 5 for school

Unfortunately it’s not really that straight forward. My 3 year old is an end of Dec baby. He started ECCE at 2 and 8 months and will have his 2 years done at 4 and 8 months. I don’t really think keeping him at home or paying for a third year is the right thing to do but am worried he’ll be too young starting at 4 and 8 months. The prescriptive year based approach of the ECCE is a pain to be honest.

bee06 wrote: »

Unfortunately it’s not really that straight forward. My 3 year old is an end of Dec baby. He started ECCE at 2 and 8 months and will have his 2 years done at 4 and 8 months. I don’t really think keeping him at home or paying for a third year is the right thing to do but am worried he’ll be too young starting at 4 and 8 months. The prescriptive year based approach of the ECCE is a pain to be honest.

Completely agree with this. With my twins one is starting at 4,8 and the other at 5,8. He gets an overage exemption due to diagnosis but if they’d been born when they were due two weeks later both would have been entitled to another year. It’s probably working out the best for us but my initial hopes would have been for both to be starting after they turned five.

bee06 wrote: »

Unfortunately it’s not really that straight forward. My 3 year old is an end of Dec baby. He started ECCE at 2 and 8 months and will have his 2 years done at 4 and 8 months. I don’t really think keeping him at home or paying for a third year is the right thing to do but am worried he’ll be too young starting at 4 and 8 months. The prescriptive year based approach of the ECCE is a pain to be honest.

Yes I agree the ecce has made it more complicated.
I started mine at Playschool taking that into account. Which is more difficult for people especially if they use crèches. As the crèche might put them into Playschool automatically.

It all depends on your child and each child is different and also depends on the school. Ours is a small country school with 2or3classes per teacher. So I felt the older mine were the better. That’s just my opinion I’m not saying anyone is right or wrong and I did what I felt was best in our circumstances.
Then I know people in bigger one class per teacher schools and it’s less important there. Their younger aged children have thrived.

Best of luck to you, it’s not easy making decisions .
And to be honest every day brings different challenges and it’s so hard. We are all doing our best and we all question ourselves every day. But all we can do is try. The one thing I felt helped my children was being involved in their after school activities and having their friends over as much as we could. Well now COVID has p’ed all over that so all I can say is once our children have people who care for them then that’s the foundation they need and we must cross our fingers after that.

So I’m never answering his question again. No offense meant.

We were supposed to send our girl at 4 years, 4 months.
At the last minute we changed our mind, so she started National school at 5 years, 5 months.
Never regretted it, she's 2nd year in Secondry school now.
Will have a driving licence before the end of transition year....

dr_funkenstein wrote: »

Hi all,

I know this topic comes up repeatedly (and I have read older threads) but I'm going around in circles and would really love some input.

Our son just turned 4 in early March and we had originally thought to send him to Junior Infants at 5.5yrs old. The montesorri he is currently at tell us they think he is ready to start JI at 4.5yrs old assuming we work on his resiliency (see below). I've asked them a few times if he's welcome to stay another year but they're being very evasive and have mentioned he may end up being bored. We understand these concerns but feel like we need to justify to them why 5.5yrs old.

He comes across as bright, gets involved, made friends and plays well. He is however prone to crying if things don't go his way which the montesorri say is down to immaturity. We're fine to work on this with him but can't shake the feeling he would be better equipped for big school next year. Talking to the big school, he wouldn't be the youngest (10 younger) if he starts in September.

I'm very confused Did anyone regret sending their Feb/March/April child at 5.5yrs old? Everyone is telling us later but the montesorri & school seem to think it'd be OK.

Thanks!

My girl was late March but we sent her. Best thing we ever did.
She was more than able and since 1st class gets extra tasks to do as she is ahead of most of her classmates despite only one child being younger than her, and a few of them at least a year older.
No two children are the same. No reason why a kid should be held back purely by the exact date on their birth cert. Some are more than capable at 4.5 years.
When i was growing up I was in school with a lad who was just 4 in July. His parents sent him in and by the time he finished his leaving he hadn't turned 17, and had a BA completed before he turned 20.
Now as a teacher I have had a number students who have turned 20 just before sitting the leaving. I often think back to my old buddy who had his degree in the bag by then.

joebloggs32 wrote: »

Now as a teacher I have had a number students who have turned 20 just before sitting the leaving. I often think back to my old buddy who had his degree in the bag by then.

I think the introduction of the ecce scheme is bringing a "society shift" on school age.

Just like our parents would have finished school at 14, us finishing at 17/18 I think today's primary will be 19/20.

It will work out as it will be "the norm".

I think extra maturity in college is no harm either.

My 2c.

Our boy turned 4 this month but there is no way in hell he would be ready for school in September so he will be 5.5 starting. He is very bright, excellent language skills, memory etc but he is definitely lacking in maturity. At the end of the day, he will be in school for long enough and we firmly believe that he will benefit long term. Its funny about the different attitudes with ECCE providers. The one he is in is completely against any child starting school before they get to 5 or damn near it.

If a child starts school at 5 yrs 6 months they will be 19yrs 6 months doing the leaving cert, which in my opinion is far too late. (Assuming they do TY) They will turn 18 and still have another year and a half in secondary school, where education is very structured.
In that instance I think it would be best to skip the TY year which would be a pity for many pupils.

lazygal wrote: »

What's the rush though? Why is 19 and older too late to do the leaving cert? I did sixth year in a private college which had many people repeating the Lc and some were in their 20s.

Me too probably the same school. They had a whole study hall for people who were repeating LC after completing a degree.

I'll give my 4 cents on this, I've two points of view, as a child and as a primary principal.

1st, I was sent to school at 4y 2m, as my Dad, a primary teacher felt I was ready at the time. I was able and managed away but as time went on the gap got harder. I remember in 5th class, it was becoming a struggle academically and I was noticeably behind my classmates, in hindsight even I can see it. My pals were far more mature than me, getting interested in girls and moving towards early teen interests where I was still happy playing with my toy cars and being generally a small boy. I was quite smaller than the other boys, a not inconsequential thing when subjected to the rough and tumble of boys games and play. Some boys love to pick on the smallest boy, especially the babyish immature one. Nothing of note but it was something I did have to deal with.

Fast forward and JB Senior decided I was to repeat 5th class. It was an awful shock to my system but it was the best thing that ever happened me. Classwork suddenly became far easier and I seemed to be at the same level, mentally, as the boys in my new class.

Now fast forward to 2021. I'm primary principal in a school in the Middle East. My students begin at 3 years 2 months but it's not compulsory until 5y 2 months. As as a result when enrollment processes start I always advise for boys to err on the lower class when beginning. It's a fact, girls are easily 6 months ahead of boys at the same age. I don't have a peer reviewed article to back up my acertation, but I do this for a living! I am allocating school places at the moment for Sept starts and when looking at age, if there a situation where a boy is borderline age wise, I'll always advise going to KG1 over KG2.

Finally being 18 at the end of 5th year was a godsend. LC year is a nice year in so far that you're an adult by law and on the cusp of living an adult's life and the freedom that comes with it. Going to the pub or on the town to celebrate end of term, mocks finishing, friends 18ths etc is part of the LC year experience and being of age makes it one less stress. Entering college with that behind you means your less likely to lose the run of yourself with new found freedoms.

You'll never regret starting a year late, but if you start a year early and issues pop up, you'll kick yourself for not waiting.

hots wrote: »

For a counter argument, I was 16 going to uni as was one of my brothers, both of us have fared fine. There's no blanket rule for everyone.

True but 16 in Uni couldn't have been easy socially.

hots wrote: »

For a counter argument, I was 16 going to uni as was one of my brothers, both of us have fared fine. There's no blanket rule for everyone.

I was 16/17 in 5th year and I remember that year being really down.

My school friends were all heading to the pub at weekends , I looked 12 , so no way I'd get in. I remember feeling every Saturday night that my life was sh1te ( I may have been dramatic) .

If that was first year in college I'd probably have dropped out.