Philosophy Now Forum

Say you had the choice of enrolling your child into school at either age 5 or age 6. Which age would you pick?

Redshirting is where you can delay enrolling your child. The theory behind this is simple - your child would do better later in life by having an advantage over his/her classmates.

I think this has some detriments. For one thing how good a fit would your child have with his classmates? And would this increase bullyism?

Stats are hard to come by. Here's an article to read up on: http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/ ... artest-kid

PhilX

Bullyism? Now THAT'S a joke-word! There's no such thing as "bullyism" and no reason to make "bully" into an "-ism". You're trying to sound more philosophical than you are xP

In Norway kids start at the age of 6. I think this is the best age to start at, since kids need as much time in their early life as they can get to develop freely and without the boxing and packing of schools. It increases a child's sense of self, their ability to mature socially, and the later you wait the more exciting and interesting school becomes, instead of this place where you're taken out of your playful life and sat on a school bench to be dictated by a teacher. The older you are, the more predispositioned you are for school, at some stage of course the fact that you're old makes you over-matured for the stage in school, since you'll be lagging behind in a metric of reasonable lag. This will bring down your self-esteemt, your sense of empowerment and you'll get an unsatisfied need in an economy of demand and supply.

Children are to some degree consumers of education, provided we give them the reasons for believing in the virtues of it (which I think the large part of children do, though this varies geographically). And the key is to give them education at a stage in life where it as a product is the most convenient for them, both in what they desire and what they need. Take it too early and you are encroaching on their freedom, and take it too late and you're starving their brains.

It depends on the school system and how well it matches the style of child-rearing practiced in the homes. Different styles of teaching are appropriate to different cultures, and don't cross over well. A highly regimented style of education is pure hell for a child who comes from an affectionate and relaxed family life - in this case, the younger he is, the less he can understand why the teacher is mean to him. On the other hand, a child from a strict, punitive home coming into a fun-fun-fun kindergarten atmosphere will adjust very quickly.... even if he doesn't learn much.

If the educators are attuned to the learning styles and needs of the children, it doesn't really matter what age you start at, because the appropriate niche will be found for each child. New immigrants come in all ages, enter the system at all levels, usually with little or no English, and most of them do quite well. (You can tell when the waves of different immigrants came to Canada by reading the honour rolls in the foyers of Toronto high-schools.)
It's been argued that children should start pre-kindergarten as early as age 3 (This is mainly for the benefit of working parents. Also, in many cities, children aren't safe in the parks and playgrounds, so their socialization is entirely adult-organized.) It has been argued, with equally good reasons, that most children are not ready for full-day school until 7 or 8. (I think, never; four hours a day of sitting still is enough for anybody.) School isn't about the students; it's a device for moulding children to fit an economic system. Education is successful when most of its end product uncomplainingly does whatever jobs the society needs them to do.

Bullying is also an indicator of society's requirements. When you need lots of soldiers and riot police, you raise children in an atmosphere of menace, a cult of toughness, conformity and physical dominance. You can't separate an institution from the prevailing social climate: schools and other prisons reflect the temper of the times in a more concentrated form.