What's wrong with kids spending a bit more time to be little rather than throwing them in the deep end in life.
Gotta agree with you there, Shannon.
School days are such long days for the little tackers. Even my grade 1/2's had days where they didn't cope if they had had a late night or woke up early (I had one little boy that went to before school care and after school care every day.... the poor thing was knackered!)

Fletch - too right... there's no way a 15 year old can know exactly which path they want to take in their career (ok... some do but I found that most only have an idealistic view with no real knowledge of what's involved).
I advise a lot of high school kids to pick a Uni course or whatever then defer for a year. Go out and get a part-time job somewhere and just have fun for a year. You can always change your course or change your mind about going to Uni altogether. There's a whole world out there that many high school kids have yet to experience so how can they know which direction to turn. Best to experience the big, wide world a little then make up your mind. So long as they have a job and aren't just bumming around, I don't see the harm. On the flip-side, if they are really focussed and have the determination, good on 'em! But I'd say that would be a minority.

Caz -
am well versed in VELS (Victorian Essential Learning Standards) which is the new standards that started this year in Vic schools, but we are seeing heaps of problems with teachers reluctant to swap over from the CFS II model. I cant imagine how hard it would be to change again...
As someone who only just learnt how to use the old system (curriculum and reporting), I can understand why there's such a reluctance to swap from the CSF to VELS. I was kind of disappointed that the system was changing because I thought I had finally had enough experience to hold me in good stead, LOL. I guess, though, I will be doing CRT for a while so, by the time I go back to FT teaching, the system will have changed yet again!! LOL
It's funny, I was trying to explain to a friend (a non-teacher) how the new report-writing system has freaked a few teachers out. She couldn't understand the problem. She was under the impression that we just tick a few boxes and write "Little Johnny was a pleasure to teach this year" and that's that. OMG! If ONLY it was that easy, hey?
I'm all for a National Curriculum too.... so long as there's a little bit of flexibility. I've only ever been a teacher in the Victorian school system. I did attend school in the ACT from Kinder-grade 4 but I really don't remember any great differences from a student perspective (except that it was weird that Prep is called Kinder up there... here, kinder is pre-school, LOL). But, then, I was all of 5 years old so who would notice curriculum differences?? hehehe

Gabby's birthday is in March. I'm not sure if I want her starting when she is still 4..... hmmm... seems too early. But, then, I'll have to see what her academic and social skills are like. Some kids are just ready by then... but I'd rather keep her back if she needs it rather than just send her because she's within the legal age to send her, iykwim?