Parent priorities when navigating the decision to delay school entry

Heather G. Simpson, Josie N. Booth, Nicolas Chevalier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

With no consensus regarding an optimal school-entry age, parents must weigh-up numerous factors when given the option to delay a child’s primary school-entry (deferral) on the basis of their age. To explore this, 271 parents living in Scotland with a child born in January/February 2015/16 (50% girls; 65% deferred) were surveyed regarding the deferral decision. Boys were more likely to be deferred than girls, and girls from families in more affluent areas. Parents selecting non-deferral prioritised the social and cognitive stimulation of school, while parents selecting deferral felt that preschool would nurture their child’s socio-emotional skills. Finally, deferred boys were perceived as less socially competent than non-deferred boys. Our findings indicate that parents’ appraisal of their child’s socio-emotional maturity and beliefs regarding school-readiness guide an age-based deferral decision.
Original languageEnglish
JournalResearch Papers in Education
Early online date7 Oct 2024
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 7 Oct 2024

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • school starting age
  • school readiness
  • school-entry deferral
  • socio-emotional skills
  • parents
  • gender

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