Dear all my friends,..
Every child has a desire to learn. Especially when they see relatives and all their peers going to school, usually they will ask their mother or father to come to school. Even though they don't enroll in school, these children have a desire to have a bag to carry to make it look like they want to go to school.
We often see children aged 4-6 years asking their parents to go to school. There are also parents who want their children to go to school at an earlier age. Many parents hope to have pride in having a very young child who has succeeded academically. Moreover, if you look at various news, there are young children who have received doctorate degrees, so many parents want their children to be like them.
This is also what causes many parents to want to send their children to elementary school even though they are still very young.
The reason that is often put forward is that children's ability to read, write and count is good so they will force schools to accept their children to primary school.
This often clashes with school entry age rules. Many parents protested to the New Student Admissions Committee because their children could not be admitted to elementary school on the grounds that they were less than 7 years old. Because parents feel their children are able to read, write and count.
What must be realized by all parties, especially parents, is that at the age of 5-6 years, they are still in the stage of developing social and motor or movement skills. Meanwhile, to start learning in grade 1 elementary school, children must be able to take lessons seriously for a long time and in a limited space.
I still remember when we were little we could only be accepted into school with conditions. We must be able to hold the left ear with the right hand. How to hold it is not the origin of holding. We wrap our right hand through the top to and should be able to hold the left ear. If we can do it then we are considered worthy to enter elementary school. If we can't touch then we can't be accepted as elementary school students.
However, such a method is no longer in line with the reform of the education system. In Indonesia, the age for entering primary school is determined when a child is 7 years old.
If you are not yet 7 years old, it is advisable to take pre-school or kindergarten again. The problem is that children who are too long as kindergarten students will certainly get bored. So some private schools provide opportunities for students who are not yet 7 years old to study there.
There are at least several reasons why the minimum age for elementary school entry is 7 years. In addition to intellectual abilities, children's mental readiness must also be considered in learning activities in elementary school. That is the basis for consideration of the 7-year elementary school rule.
The following are some reasons why the primary school entry age is set at 7 years and a minimum of 6 years:
In developmental theory, children can concentrate well at the age of over 6 years as they get older. As you get older, your ability to concentrate increases. Children are increasingly able to sort out which material to pay attention to and which can be ignored.
In contrast to children aged under 6 years who can only concentrate for approximately 15 minutes, the concentration range for school age is usually around 30-45 minutes. This can be done by a 7 year old child.
The classic problem faced by children who enter elementary school too early is generally still problematic, especially in first grade is that children are not ready to study by concentrating longer. They are still developing their movement skills.
As a result, they will find it difficult to concentrate, even though their intellectual abilities are quite capable of solving the problems provided.
In general, children aged 7 years will be more receptive to cognitive understanding. Children will be easier to teach and absorb knowledge. When entering elementary school, children are expected to be able to read, write, and do simple arithmetic. In addition, children are also expected to be able to follow instructions, understand and be able to work on the questions given. If the child is entered into primary school too early then the possibility of the child not understanding what the teacher is ordering will be greater. This can be a problem for both teachers, older friends or family.
Many children who enter elementary school too early are quite mature academically. Many children are able to read and count when they are in kindergarten. However, usually their emotional maturity and independence are not maximized. Children cry easily, are spoiled, or suddenly go on strike to learn, of course, this is a big problem when faced by an inexperienced teacher. Likewise, children still ask to be accompanied by their mother or do not dare to pee themselves in school public toilets or easily give up on assigned tasks or do not want to do homework because they still prefer to play, of course, this is a separate problem.
In fact, when they are in elementary school, children will no longer receive attention like in kindergarten. They must be more independent and also less dependent on their parents.
We must believe that the provision for school entry age is made based on many considerations so that parents do not need to force their children to enter elementary school if they are not of sufficient age.
That's what I wrote this time, I hope it's useful
Best regard from Indonesia.
