Starting school later is better for children, landmark study shows
A new report has found students who are older when they start school are outperforming their younger classmates.
The report, led by the University of NSW, showed 25 per cent of students in NSW are starting school later than they are first eligible.
It also found 25-35 per cent of children from affluent families were likely to be kept at home for an extra year.
Study co-author Dr Kathleen Falster said other factors – like health and maturity – were affecting the age students start at school.
“Children who were from relatively advantaged families and neighbourhoods, they were more likely to delay school entry, but we also saw other things like if the children had higher health and developmental needs in the early years,” Dr Falster said.
