At what age would you prefer to put your child in school?
After my neighbour child clocked four, his father who is an accountant in a plastic-making firm was eager to enroll him in elementary school. He felt that having started pre-school at a year and six months, his son had been ‘prepared’ for school age. But his wife, Evelyn, an event planner, had a contrary view. She argued that their son was not ‘ripe’ for school despite being taller than his age. My neighbor stood his ground until a friend of his who is a teacher advised that the child should be allowed to be a few months older before starting school. He told me this and I also don't know the right answer. Please what is the appropriate age for a child to go to school?
1 answer
Most schools recommend that the kids be five years old when starting their first year of school. I know some people who didn’t put their kids into school until they were six. But it really depends on when the cutoff is, and if it is applicable to where you live. The cutoff, which is usually September first, is the date that your child should be five years old. If they were born before September first and they are five or older, then it’s perfectly reasonable for them to start school. But if they were born after September first and they are still under five, then it’s normal for them to not be in school yet. This might not be true everywhere though. Five to six years old seems to be a good age to start school, developmentally as well because they have been exposed to a lot and should be ready to handle the stress of school.
