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I have just been advised that my DD (4yo) has been accepted into the Kindergarten I applied for her to go to. Does anyone know if it is COMPULSORY to send your child to 4 yo kindergarten. I googled it & it says it is not compulsory but does not stipulate if it is for 3 yo or 4 yo kindergarten. Now I was (as well as other mums) were under the impression it is compulsory. Can anyone clarify this for me?
Thanks
As far as I know, neither are compulsory. I was talking about it with a friend the other day actually, I didn't know that either.
im in sydney but would think it would be the same? but thought they HAD to be enrolled by the year they are turning six?
At School 5-18 - Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
not compulsory until they six :)
I know 3yo isn't compulsory and I'm pretty sure 4yo isn't either, however I think it is highly encouraged that they do go to 4yo.
sigh and its only going to get worse... kids shouldnt miss out on 4 yr old kinder its such a fantastic step before going to school.
Can you ask about 2nd round offers? now im not a CC fan but if my child missed out then i be looking into a kinder program through a CC, 4 yr old is really important.
im sorry you missed out :( and introducing the new 15 hour program is going to mean more kids will miss out
No, it is not compulsory. Schooling (any form) is not compulsory until the child is 6 years old.
Some childcare centres have a kindy program. The one my boys are at have it and they include all the children in the older room so from 3 years old. They just integrate it into the day.
Thanks for all your responses.
Olive - DD did get a place, I am concerned that it is going to be difficult to get her into the days we need her to go (both DH & I work). She does creche on a Monday & Tuesday and swimming Thursday (which can be changed to weekend), so I only can do a Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for Kindergarten and we don't find out until November. At the moment our creche' doesn't have a kindergarten program, but they are trying to get a position approved (or something like that). For ease, if they had a Kindergarten program I would just keep her in that. I totally agree that it is a great stepping stone to school, however I feel DD gets alot of benefit from going to creche and if she missed out on Kindergarten I wouldn't be to worried.
I just wish I was at home fulltime, then I wouldn't need to worry about trying to 'fit' Kindergarten in.
When you accept the positiion include a note saying you can only do XXX days as you work the other days so would not be able to bring her. Most are pretty helpful as they know many parents work.
Whatever you do accept the position and if it doesn't work out for you then you can decline but if you decline now it is really hard to get that spot back
In my opinion it is well worth the juggle. We have had a juggle to make it work and I know of 2 kids who do 2 out of the 3 sessions routinely as their parents work too. You never know you may find someone else in the same boat who can help out/you can help out. Good luck!
What do you do wed to fri? If you're home then I would keep your daughter home with you. 2 days creche, even without a teacher, is enough to transitition to school and that time with you is valuable. If you're working then by all means kindergarten is awesome and gettting her in those days would be great!
sorry i misread that...
i also highly recommmend doing it, even at 2 days
As others have said, it is not compulsory and in some cases is not beneficial. I pulled my son out of 4yo kinder due to the lack of structure and guidance (lots of free play then lots of telling him off for not playing the "correct" games, but no telling him what they were) and he has coped perfectly with full time schooling. I have found childcare to be more beneficial as school preparation despite not having a teacher as such. Basically what I'm saying is that if she is happy and learning where she is, and kinder hours are going to be a struggle, then consider if it will really be worth your time and money or if more time with you would be more beneficial.
It's also important to note that schooling of some sort is compulsory from 6, but that this can include home schooling or unschooling at home.
I dont know if it is compulsery or not, When i put DS2 into daycare one day a week, i was informed that it can be classed as the year befor school. Meaning he wouldnt need to do the year at a kinder.(providing he met the age requierments) Maybe speak to your cc and see if the goverment has the same view on there center?
Rivlas - thanks for that tip, I never thought of popping in a note about the days
Mak & Traveller - Thanks for your thoughts, I am still trying to weigh it all up.
meow - We have playgroup on Wednesdays (really well run with various activities inside, free outside play and then a story. All up 2 hours). Swimming Thursdays (45 mins) and then every second Friday she goes to my mums.
Olive - No need to apologise, I thought I must have written my post incorrectly (it was late last night)
I have to a pay a $55 holding fee (for the place) that is put towards her first term fees. If I pay and she doesn't go, it is non-refundable. I have until the 29th July to decide what I do. I could always just keep her in her current activities and do some stuff at home to prepare her for school (such as learning to write her name etc...)
Hun I am the same with Izzy and J next year - DH leaves the house at 6:15 and is home at 4:30 and I work 2 days possibly 3 days so one of them will be missing out next year. Just need to work out logistics myself but I hadn't considered that they could go for 2 days instead of all 3 so I am going to look at that as well. Our creche is ace and although they don't do a formal kinder program I don't have any huge worries about her missing out on 4yr old but she really enjoys 3 year old this year so will see how we go.
Definitely not compulsory..many a child at DS1's school started prep without having ever spent time away from their parents or any paid care.
Our Kinder is really tough to get into as well. Our council goes by DOB and thankfully not first in first served. So I have been fortunate that the boys are August/September and got my first preferences.
I put down as many preferences as I could to work around the days I needed. Do you get to pick a particular group?
I work, so would just work around it. DS1 never went to kinder on a Wednesday as I worked and he went to creche, I advised the teacher's of this and they were fine. If something special was being done on the Wedenesday I would arrange to either have a day off or get a friend to pick him up from creche and take him.
It's a juggle, worth it for DS1 as he was a quiet kid and having the creche and kinder helped him socialise better.
I got to put down three Kindergarten preferences & she got in the first preference, which is the closest to home but you don't get a preference for days and times. You can find out at the AGM in November/December of the session days & times. From what I understand they just allocate days & times and I also understand it is three days per week at either three or four hours per day. It wouldn't be that difficult but I'd have to take her out of swimming during the week & try to get her in on a weekend and my mum would have to take her to kindergarten every second Friday. I guess it seems that she will be in alot of care for five 'days' per week (2 full creche days, 3 part Kindergarten days). I'll have a chat to my mums group and see what they think. I think they are all putting their kids in either kindergarten or creche' with a kindergarten program.