Kinder to prep transition concern amid kids’ social skills decline
The state government has clarified rules for accessing a repeated year of kindergarten as some parents fear their children aren’t ready for prep after social skills took a tumble in lockdown.
Education
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Parents anxious their child isn’t ready for school next year will not get greater access to additional kinder places.
The state government has confirmed there won’t be leeway for children to repeat kinder despite the pandemic limiting access to face-to-face services.
Families will have to prove learning and development delays if they want a second funded year.
Early childhood consultant Karen Turner said the ruling would cause distress for some parents.
“Some families are concerned as they can’t afford a second year of kinder but their child may not be socially and emotionally ready (for school) due to the gaps in socialised learning,” she said.
“I’m hopeful the department has a plan but equally, there’s been a lot of policy writing on the fly.”
An unfunded kinder place costs about $150 a day.
One in 20 children receive a second year of funded four-year-old kinder — about 3900 kids got a place in 2019.
Owner of 3 Bees Early Learning Centre, Stuart Mayne, said half of his kinder kids would be eligible for a second year.
“We’ve seen a host of challenging behaviours pop up with different kids, whether they’ve gone backwards in development, either socially or behaviourally — not so much educationally,” he said.
A handful of families hadn’t attended since mid-March.
“There are going to be issues for children going into prep,” he said.
“I could see the department becoming worried if you’ve got a 50 per cent increase in second year kinder, that’s going to have a flow on effect with primary schools and consequently, with funding.”
Jen O’Connell’s son Xavier, 5, is excited to start prep next year.
But she’s noticed his social skills have gone backwards from not attending kinder on-site.
“He’s gone from being one of the most confident in answering questions to not,” she said.
While his reading and maths had advanced after spending time with his older siblings, he’d missed crucial play and socialising.
“I hope he can get back to where he was in term 4.”
Victorian Principals Association president Anne-Maree Kliman said the focus should be on whether schools were ready to support kids and their needs, not whether children were ready.
“It’s really about how the kindergartens and the prep schools work together,” she said.
Those in the education system have heard whispers of a third reduction in early enrolments for prep.
Enrolment data won’t be available until the end of the year.
A department of education spokeswoman said requirements for an extra year of kinder were “unchanged” despite COVID-19.
“While attendance at kinder has been impacted as a result of coronavirus, the majority of kinders have been able to deliver a learning from home program — it is important to remember that all children are different, even those of similar ages, and no matter what experiences children have had, they will have developed a range of skills and abilities that form the basis for further learning,” she said.
“In most cases, children will make a successful transition to school after their four-year-old kindergarten year.”
Additional transition support has been announced.
DOUBLE STANDARDS FOR SCHOOL, CHILDCARE