Japonica

I think I found something that explains the variation...

http://www.australianreview.net/jour...wards_etal.pdf

The table for delayed entry by state is on page 48.

I'm in WA and I'd just never heard of the push to delay intake, but then looking at the numbers, there's a huge difference between NSW and WA. True, this is from 2005, but 31.32% to 1.65% is sizable. They do note that the WA (and Tasmanian) preschool programs play a role in this. They must have something similar in the other states too though...It is food for thought, policy-wise, if the push is on for delayed entry (up from the 31% to even higher number now, seven years on), then why not just raise the overall intake age? If most of the kids will be turning 6 anyway, then maybe the whole program needs to be re-evaluated...ie. holding back then becomes the norm and the average age of the kids is higher. The authors did note that, "...in New South Wales, children...who start school when first eligible would do so at a younger age than children in any state born at the same time and this may explain the high rates of delayed entry" (2011:50).

paddyo

I don't believe a single thing you say.........there is NO WAY someone from Basingstoke talks like that!!

Keeley

Thanks for everyones input, I'm currently at an event in England for health professionals looking to work in Australia, gathering as much information I can. I am looking at NSW but am also open minded to location depends were I can get work as a nurse!!

quoll

No worries, but the OP said she was thinking of NSW (so Qld was sort of irrelevant) and she didnt say whether she would be permanent or temporary and there are differences and by now she realizes that. If she gets a 457 it is a very different picture from having permanent residence in another state unfortunately. Not everyone gets benefits as implied

Geordie George

That does make interesting reading. I didn't know that WA and Tas have universal preschool programs. Preschools (by which I mean proper preschools, not LDC centres with a preschool program) are thin on the ground in my bit of Aus. They may be, but are not always, associated with schools, but they do offer school-readiness preparation. Parents have to pay themselves (no funding for places) for their child to attend. DD goes to one two days a week (not associated with a school) - we'll up that to three days next year. Anecdotally, that seems to be a common course of action - two years of preschool and delayed entry. I'd be interested to know what preschool attendance is for NSW and WA. I know WA will be much higher, but I wonder how much higher ...

I guess while early age of entry may be a reason that some parents choose to delay school, I think other factors play a part. In my own decision making, consideration of the age that DD will be when she's finishing her education has played a large part - everything from how old she'll be when making decisions about uni (should she choose that route) to things like how old she'll be when she (and her peers) start drinking or driving. Plus the research I've done myself which leads me to believe that children who start school later tend to do better than children who start earlier.

Japonica

I'd have to look into the stats for attendance, but I'm sure it's pretty high. I haven't met anyone yet who didn't have their kid in Kindy (our version of preschool) when they were eligible. Both public and private schools offer it--it's not a LDC program or anything. My son goes 16 hours a week. My neighbor's son is in Kindy in a different school and attends between 11 to 16.5 hours a week (they do a 2 to 3 day varied week). The public school Kindy is not a huge expense out-of-pocket besides the usual school fees and supplies, uniform etc. There's many kids in my son's class whose parents work and they are in childcare on the days they aren't in Kindy.

It's a personal choice, based obviously on what works for you and your child. And each child is different. Back in Canada, my daughter was also one of the youngest in her preschool class. The cutoff was December and she has a November birthday. She attended anyway (started at 3y10m) and I think it was beneficial in the long run. Academically, she needed it. She was already reading books at three and her teacher started sending her home with books while the rest of the class had flashcards. Socially, I think it helped her. She has always been shy, quiet, anxious, and I didn't see how keeping her home would have helped in her particular case. She needed to experience making friends, dealing with the types of social situations (with our support and the support of her teachers) that she'd encounter in school settings as she got older. We couldn't emulate this at home. It was only last year that things really started to turn around in that area, so if I kept her back until her confidence was optimal, I could have had her home with me until she was seven. The move might have helped a bit in her case. She went from being one of the youngest in the class to firmly in the middle, age-wise, even though academically she tested over a year ahead in some areas, two+ years in reading. With my son, his personality is totally different. He's self-assured, easy-going, unfazed by new situations. I watched him listening to his teachers, following directions, completing all the projects, playing with his classmates, cooperating with all requests. He's never been unsettled there once. Didn't even shed a single tear the first day. He knows his letters and numbers, shapes, colors, all that stuff. Can already scrawl his name. We're just going to work on his sight words and fine motor skills so that he's improved by the end of the year, but I feel better about him going on to Pre-primary in many ways than I did about my daughter even though she was much stronger academically. He complains on the days he's not going to school and would attend every day right now if he could.

It is a tough decision. Right now, I can't see keeping him back unless he really fails to make any progress at all with his fine motor skills or speech issue over the rest of this academic year. He's keen and willing to learn. Doing one more year of Kindy and then going to Pre-primary at 6 would probably not be particularly motivational for him. I broached the idea with my husband and he doesn't think it has merit in our son's case. I do appreciate the pros of him being older by the end of schooling, and first to get his license etc. Although then I imagine we'd have all his friends on our doorstep asking him to be their chauffeur and drive them to parties, buy beer for them and the like. Do I want that in high school? I'm not sure. The research is also so conflicted. Some studies say the academic benefits equal out by about year three. Some say they remain. I know I would also not be supported in delaying his entry at his school. With the delayed stats so low here, it's just not done unless there's a documented reason.

I think peer group plays a role too. He prefers being with older kids...he plays well with kids who are a year or more older than ones who are younger. So, I am concerned about when he's six, putting him in with kids who would be 14 months younger than him in some cases. I guess time will tell and we'll see where he's at by the end of the year and what his teachers recommend. December's a long way off.

Japonica

Okay, found it...90% attend Kindy. 95% attend Pre-primary.

http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/ece/enrolments.html

hantsfamily1

I had to use a dictionary....!!!!

hantsfamily1

Hey Quoll I was only having a laugh, seriously this forum provided me with endless fantastic information and made my move so much easier.

Thanks for helping everyone out.

hannah1202

Hi keeley, I'm a fellow manc who moved here, child in tow, on my own 3 years ago. I'm in Perth and there are a couple of mental health places you could look at....Hollywood private hospital and gray lands hospital. Good luck x