A new report by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) compares the educational attainment of UKchildren with those in European countries where the school starting age is six.
The report, School Starting Age: European Policy and Recent Research, says, 'It is clear that the UK is out of step with other countries in introducing children to school and thereby to more formal learning early in life. There are several elements of a child's experience in school that distinguishes it from a child's experiences in most pre-school environments, even educationally-oriented pre-school provision.
'First, reception class teachers tend to take a more didactic role, and children spend proportionately less time on tasks of their own choosing.
Second, children are less physically active, spend less time exploring their environment and more time sitting still. This may result from both the teacher's pedagogical approach and a lack of free access to outdoor play facilities in schools.'
The report warns that while teaching more formal skills from an early age may initially give children an academic advantage, this is not sustained in the longer term, as it could lead to increased anxiety and have a negative impact on their self-esteem and motivation to learn. It recommends that children should be allowed to spend more time learning in an informal environment through play.
The report draws on research comparing children's attainment in Switzerland and England by Sig Prais for the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, who has argued for more flexibility in school starting ages in Britain. He suggests that if British schools were to introduce a four-month flexibility in starting ages there would be a reduction in the spread of ability within classes, which would make it easier for teachers to adopt whole-class teaching methods.
The report's principal researcher, Caroline Sharp, said, 'A later start does not appear to hold back children's progress - although it is important not to forget the important contribution made by children's experiences at home and in pre-school. Certainly, there would appear to be no compelling educational rationale for a statutory school age of five or for the practice of admitting four-year-olds to school reception classes.'
