Starting school too young in the UK (Split from LIST)

Children start school the September BEFORE they turn 5-very young in my opinion.

Children start school the September BEFORE they turn 5-very young in my opinion.

I don't know - I started school at 4, graduated from high school at 17, and I don't think it harmed me in anyway.  Of course, this was back in the stone age...!

I'm not in the UK yet, but the very big thing I'm not looking forward to is dealing on a daily basis with the lack of water pressure in the shower.  I have long hair - takes FOREVER to get all the shampoo out.  Argh.

I don't know - I started school at 4, graduated from high school at 17, and I don't think it harmed me in anyway.  Of course, this was back in the stone age...!

I'm a bit conflicted over this point.  Mind you this was in Scotland where I think most start at 4 years, but I went to University over here with a girl who was 17, but had taken a year out, so could have gone when she was 16.   I know that I personally had no clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life when I was 16.  I just think that is a bit young to have to make a decision like that.

I don't know - I started school at 4, graduated from high school at 17, and I don't think it harmed me in anyway.  Of course, this was back in the stone age...!

I know alot of people don't have a problem with this, maybe it's just me.  But if your child has a birthday on August 28,  then they'll start school in September with some children who will be five in September, so they'll be an entire year younger.  And since there is so much emphasis on testing here.  They'll be taking the tests for seven year olds when they're only six. and being judged against children who've been seven for 8-9 months.  In my opinion it does make a difference,  but there  are alot of different opinions on this.  
They just seem awfully young to me.

My daughter started school a month or so before her fourth birthday, and she was three months shy of 18 when she graduated.  

I agree that 16 is waaay too young to be out of school.  It's preposterous to expect a 16-year-old to know what they want to do with the rest of their life.  And I think it's a shame that the joy and fun that should characterize their teenage years is truncated.  Teens are forced to take on too much responsibility too quickly in the UK,  expected to act like adults too soon.  And there's a host of related problems ... employment, etc.  There is so much emphasis on finding work for 16-18 year old kids, it makes it difficult for anyone over 30 to find decent jobs, many of which start as apprenticeships for "school leavers."  If you enter the job market too late, you're just outa luck.  

I guess I would add that to my list of things I wish I had known about England before I moved, i.e. how difficult it would be to find a job. It was something I never expected.

I agree that 16 is waaay too young to be out of school.  It's preposterous to expect a 16-year-old to know what they want to do with the rest of their life.  And I think it's a shame that the joy and fun that should characterize their teenage years is truncated.  Teens are forced to take on too much responsibility too quickly in the UK,  expected to act like adults too soon.  And there's a host of related problems ... employment, etc.

I agree on this point.  However, I have a problem - especially in "today's" world, with there being 18-year-old adults in a school with 14-year-olds - which is what happens when your kids don't start until 5 or 6 years of age.  Maybe because I have boys...what if my 18 yr old wants to date a 15-16 yr old girl?  If they - when they? - get physical in the relationship, he could be charged with statutory rape!  But he's in school with her, maybe even in classes with her.  She's his peer, for all intents and purposes - and yet, she's not, because he's a legal adult.  Just opens all sorts of possible problems I'm not up for dealing with!

Then again - we also have these stupid "magnet" school as young as elementary level that actually focus on specialties in education.  Like my 8 year old knows if he wants to specialise in math, science, arts, or history?!  Give me a break.  Just teach them to read, write, and cipher!

Okay - I know that all had really no place in the thread - but I'm done now!

I could have graduated at 16 from high school. I didn't for a few reasons. Private High School was expensive enough, but not as expensive as University would be. So the compromise was to set up combines AP Classes in high school followed by Community College classes in the afternoon. I did that for the last two years. It was nice cause I still was with my friends for part of the day and got to further myself in college in the other part. High school would have been real boring if I had been forced tostay at that level baised on my age.

I don't like the system here where you could leave if you wanted to at 16. Just seems strange to me. I guess it depends on the person themsleves.  I know at 16 I knew what I wanted to do with my life and yes that plan hasn't changed even now that I am 21.

In my area of califronia there was a focus for 16+  to get jobs. I started applying around on my 16th birthday. In my case I didn't have a choice. If I wanted a good education I had no choice but to work.  I have noticed alot more younger people working in town center then you would have back in LA.

I agree that 16 is waaay too young to be out of school.  It's preposterous to expect a 16-year-old to know what they want to do with the rest of their life.

I came to the UK the first time in 1962, was only 12 years old and had to spend all my time playing catch-up with my pears in school, needless to say I did very badly. I left school at 15 and went on to an apprenticeship because my parents were not educationally oriented and thought so long as you could read words with 2 syllables, add, subtract multiply and divide, this would set you up for life . Later when I returned to States I had to spend a lot of time getting my education in order as a result of my parents wisdom. Fortunately I was
motivated enough to rectify this and eventually went on to university, albeit much later in life.

With this in mind I have a particular beef with anyone thinking of introducing US kids to the British education system if that child is older than 5 or happens to have an IQ level in excess of 200 and is particularly gifted. First it's hard enough for a child to take on a new culture where the attitudes and beliefs take some getting used to, but add to this the fact they will be at least 3 years behind the class they join, that the teaches will not always be sympathetic to their problems and you've got a recipe for misery for that child.

It's my view a child should be allowed to enjoy their time at school, and parents need to think long and hard before subjecting their children to a major educational change mid-stream. If you believe that extra tuition and hours over and beyond that of the usual school day is a pleasure for a child, I would suggest it's worth another look at. Britsh schools are more demanding then the average US school, the outcome of exams are less forgiving in terms of a childs future and playing catch-up is something that most children will not appreciate.

First it's hard enough for a child to take on a new culture where the attitudes and beliefs take some getting used to, but add to this the fact they will be at least 3 years behind the class they join, that the teaches will not always be sympathetic to their problems and you've got a recipe for misery for that child.

I'm sorry, but as a teacher, I have to disagree with you on the whole "3 years" thing.  I teach French and Spanish to 11-18 year-old, year 7 right up to A-Level.  Most of the kids I teach cannot read or write in English, so I haven't got a snowball's chance in hell of teaching them French or Spanish, because they haven't even got a clue what a verb or a noun might be.  I don't teach in an "inner-city" school, either.  I teach in a regular comprehensive in the leafy suburbs.  The British educational system does nothing more than teach kids to take tests.  There are tests at every stage of the educational process, from SATs to GCSEs to A-Levels.  We spend so much time looking at past papers to bring up the scores, so we can be well-placed in the league tables, and as a result we are giving the kids information and teaching them to spit it back at us in a form that will satisfy the exam boards.  At least in the US, teachers are teaching kids to think and reason and deduce.  Not so in Britain.  I take offence to the fact that people in the Uk think I didn't get a good education in the US.   My 13 year-old nephew in the USA can read and write much better than the kids I teach in Britain.

I'm sorry, but as a teacher, I have to disagree with you on the whole "3 years" thing

I think we might be talking at cross purposes here. In the US the average age of a high scholl graduate is 18, in the UK it's 15-16. When I left school  it was 14-15 here, hence the 3 years difference. I agree that mainstream education in the UK is exam oriented, and that there is a problem in some areas with English grammar, all the more reason parents should think carefully when bringing a child to the UK while in the middle of their education.

.  I take offence to the fact that people in the Uk think I didn't get a good education in the US.

Funny, but most of the people I meet seem to take the opposite view, they seem to believe the the US's system is more child friendly.

I sympathise with you comments regarding spelling etc..., however in some States the same problem exists. As for the exam expectations, I'm afraid that's the name of then game. I have taught undergraduates and they are also subject to the same issues.

Though your experience is interesting, it's difficult to exptrapolate, it may be your area (geographically speaking) suffers different types of problems than others, never-the-less, my point was directed at US families with children in mid education

With this in mind I have a particular beef with anyone thinking of introducing US kids to the British education system if that child is older than 5 or happens to have an IQ level in excess of 200 and is particularly gifted.

Loftus, what about startinga US child in the UK education system?  We moved here with my son 4 1/2 -- time to start Reception class, which he did as soon as we had a place to live and could choose a school (he only missed the first half of Autumn term at his school.)  We will eventually go back to the US -- what then?  I am worried about him being ahead of his US age class, then getting bored and discouraged, then having problems (typical of boys who are under-challenged.)  I know that I can't cross that bridge until we get to it, but it is a concern.  I have been nothing but pleased with the UK education system so far -- I am very impressed with what Cole has learned this year.  If we were in MN, he'd still be in pre-school, and not start Kindergarten until Sept.  He's already reading, writing, and doing basic maths (counting by 10, etc.)  I KNOW he is well above what Kindergarten students in MN are doing, and he's a full year younger.  I don't know -- maybe by the time we get back to the States he can skip a grade or something.  Like I said, I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

Stephanie

 I am worried about him being ahead of his US age class, then getting bored and discouraged, then having problems (typical of boys who are under-challenged.)  I know that I can't cross that bridge until we get to it, but it is a concern.  

It will be fine.    You have a few choices on returning to the US if your children really to test above grade level.  In most cases the school system will test them anyway when they come from overseas or from a private school.

If they test far enough ahead you will probably be looking at honors classes.  If not then there are tons of options in the supplemental education field.  Many colleges and universities offer classes and you could also attend a place like Sylvan Learning Center which specializes in both remediation and enrichment for children K-12.  

Not to mention that in the USA the teach to the test mentality is fast overtaking any semblance of learning for the sake of learning so if loftus is right about the UK then your son will nail those tests here in the US.

Keeping an active environment at home is also key of course, but I'm sure you know that.  It is the parents perceptions and reactions that form a child's initial opinions and view of the world.  If you keep a good attitude and teach the value of being able to experience the world your kids will be fine.  

Above all give them self confidence.  A kid that thinks they can't won't.  I see it every day.  

I work day in and day out with kids and their parents and am a product of a globe trotting family so I can tell you that on a personal level....
I was ahead of the game when I moved back to the USA and I am thankful that I had the chance to live and work all over this wonderful planet. My experiences are something no one will ever take away from me.  

Oh, and as for schools in the USA -it depends on where you live, Peachy, same as the UK I'm sure.

Come take a look at the state I am in now.  Our teachers are teaching to the test too, and looking on how to increase test scores because their salaries and promotions are now tied into their classes standardized tests.  Nice Huh?  

And guess what?  Business for us is booming because kids can't read, do math or don't know how to take tests.  It is very sad.

Sorry that's a bit off topic.