Start School at 5?

KUALA LUMPUR: The Youth Development Lab has recently proposed to the government to officially lower the age requirement for children to enroll in schools down to five years as practiced by developed countries.
Currently, it is compulsory for parents to enroll their children in schools at the age of seven.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyddin Yassin said that a committee, led by the director-general of education, would review the proposal prior to finalising its implementation.
Pre-school education is an integral part of the national education system (under the Education Act 1992) as well as one of the focus areas under the GTP.
The Education NKRA aims to have 87 percent pre-school enrollment rate by 2012 and 97 percent by 2020.
The proposal for children to receive education at the age of five is not something new as most children today are already enrolled in kindergartens.
In 2010, the Ministry, along with other pre-school agencies, has increased the enrollment of pre-school children to 72.4% by building additional pre-schools and giving incentives to private operators.
Under the NKRA, both public and private pre-schools will use the National Pre-School Curriculum Standard (NPCS).
Teachers and assistants would also have to attend courses that are set by the Education Ministry.
Pre-school teachers are now required to have a degree whereas previously the minimum requirement was a diploma in early childcare education (ECCE).

TheStar, Monday January 10, 2011