Children start school too young - wait till they're 6, experts say [TimesOnline.co.uk]
- Published: 16 October 2009
Formal schooling should be delayed until children reach 6, according to the biggest review of primary education for more than 40 years.
The Cambridge Primary Review, published today, says that five-year-olds should continue with the play-based curriculum used in nursery schools. Trying to teach literacy and numeracy at such an early age is "counterproductive" and can put children off school, according to the committee that produced the report.
Professor Robin Alexander, the report's editor, called for a debate about whether to raise the age of compulsory schooling, which has been set at 5 since 1870. But the review was more concerned about the style of learning offered in state schools.
Full Story: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
