Legislation to lower the school starting is on the edge as it heads to the Legislative Council

THE Liberals’ plan to lower the school starting age is on shaky ground, with independent Upper House MPs far from sold on idea.

THE Liberals’ plan to lower the school starting age is on shaky ground, with independent Upper House MPs far from sold on idea.

Their caution will aid Labor’s push for the lower starting age to be set aside from the Bill to allow time for further research and consultation.

The independent-dominated Legislative Council will turn its attention to the Education Bill this week after a period of intense lobbying, much of it centred on the starting age.

EDITORIAL: STUCK IN THE STATUS QUO

The Government wants to introduce a voluntary minimum starting age of four and a half years for Prep, which would also allow children as young as three and a half to enter Kindergarten.

The compulsory school starting age for Prep would remain at five years.

Opposition education spokeswoman Michelle O’Byrne said her party hoped to gain the support of the Upper House to remove the lower school starting age provisions from the Bill.

Labor wants the Government to prepare a detailed implementation and transition plan for the childcare sector, and bring the lower starting age back before the Parliament in July next year.

The approach received some support from MLCs who spoke with the Mercury.

Rosevears MLC Kerry Finch said the Legislative Council would take a “cautious approach” after being inundated with concerns.

“We’ve had our fingers burnt on some education legislation [before],” he said. “We don’t want ... a hasty decision or a mistake.”

Hobart MLC Rob Valentine and Launceston MLC Rosemary Armitage said they would consider Labor’s arguments for deferring a lower starting age.

Rumney MLC Tony Mulder said he had concerns about children starting school before they were ready and questioned whether it would improve Year 12 attainment.

Huon MLC Robert Armstrong said he was leaning towards supporting the lower school starting age.

Murchison MLC Ruth Forrest applauded the Government’s commitment to education but said lowering the starting age might not be the right solution.

Both Western Tiers MLC Greg Hall and Apsley MLC Tania Rattray had concerns about the impact on rural communities which relied on small childcare centres.