A proposed change under the Education Act could see some children waiting an extra year before entering the Kindergarten to Grade 12 school system, as the province considers moving the kindergarten cutoff age to Dec. 31.
Although some school divisions in the province already have a Dec. 31 cutoff date, local school divisions have a Feb. 28/March 1 cutoff. The date means students with birthdays between Dec. 31 and March 1 can begin school at a younger age than many of their classmates.
According to a document on the key changes for school boards proposed in the Education Act, released by the Alberta School Boards Association, “For some school boards, the requirement in the draft regulation stipulating that a child must be at least five years of age as of Dec. 31 to have entry to kindergarten may not be a change from their current ECS admission policies.”
However, for other school boards, like St. Paul Education Regional Division, that permit younger students to enroll in kindergarten, this requirement, which could come into effect for the 2018-19 school year, would reflect a change.
In November of 2014, SPERD decided against moving its cut-off date to Dec. 31.
“Originating at the school level and based on what we believe to be the best for student learning and their development, much discussion has occurred around moving the ECS entrance age from the end of February (March 1), to the end of December,” said Superintendent Glen Brodziak, in an interview with the Journal at that time.
One of the reasons for keeping the March 1 cutoff was that other school divisions in the area were using the same cutoff date. At that time, Brodziak noted that the province was looking at a “universal entrance age,” so the division decided to wait and see what would come from that.
It took a couple years, but it appears the change is beginning to take place.
Sha Tichkowsky, SPERD’s director of student supports, did research on the topic, speaking to teachers and looking at what neighbouring divisions were doing, in 2014, when the division was looking at the topic.
Teachers within SPERD were in support of moving the kindergarten age, says Tichkowsky, adding, “(teachers) notice a difference in developmental skills.” From the teachers’ perspectives, moving the cut-off age has been discussed for a while now, she adds.
“We’re in favour,” says Tichkowsky. But, she notes that there is certainly still a place for early intervention with some students, it just doesn’t always apply to every child.
“Some kids do need the earlier exposure,” she says, adding, that’s where things like the PUF program come into play, offering students extra help when they need it, at an earlier age.
At École du Sommet, which is part of the East Central Francophone Education Region, the kindergarten cutoff age is similar to SPERD.
“I think most educators agree that the de facto cutoff date could be pushed back to December, to the benefit of most children, but it would indeed have to be a legislated change, applied the same way for all boards,” said ECFER Superintendent Marc Dumont.
He explained that in 2002 or 2003, the board tried to implement its own change to that effect, “but some parents responded that the school across the street still had a March cutoff and that they would therefore play one school against the other. We found ourselves spending an inordinate amount of time dealing with requests for exemptions from the board policy.”
A downside to the change is if funding is restricted for special needs, and kindergarten remains optional and limited to half-day funding, students who are at risk and have special needs could be a full year older when entering the school system, resulting in a delay in early intervention, says Dumont.
When making a decision on when to put their children into kindergarten, local parents with kids whose birthdays fall between Dec. 31 and March 1 say their decision depends uniquely on a child’s maturity and capabilities.
“It all really depends on the child,” says Krystle Cardinal, who has three young children. Her oldest son’s birthday is in June, which meant there was no decision to make when he started school, since he was already over five years old.
“Jaevin was ready for school both socially and academically since he was two,” says Cardinal. Her second child, Ariana, is a January baby, and just turned four. She is not in preschool, and wasn’t ready in the fall to start “for several reasons.”
Krystle herself has a January birthday, and was among the youngest students in her class when growing up.
“Although I did well for the most part, and I can’t imagine growing up with any other classmates, I don’t think I was totally ready socially or academically, and wonder sometimes if I started at an older age if I would have done a bit better.”
Sarah Burton opted to hold her daughter Hannah back a year before starting her in kindergarten, since her birthday falls right on the cutoff date.
“She wasn’t ready, and I couldn’t justify how it would be fair to her, the teacher and other classmates. I’m glad we waited because I know it would have been a whole year of struggling,” says Burton.
On the other hand, some parents who opt to put their children in early have seen the benefits of a child doing two years of kindergarten.
Melissa Martin put her oldest son, Cody, into kindergarten when he was four, and kept him in kindergarten the following year. Since he has a January birthday, he was among the oldest in his class the second year.
“It was a great thing for him.”
The first year, she says, was focused more on social skills and interactions with other students, while in the second year, Cody was able to focus more “the work.”
Martin’s third-born child is now in preschool, and has a February birthday.
“I think Sadie is more than ready for kindergarten in the fall, but she is the third child and I think that makes a huge difference as well,” says Martin.
The Education Act is new legislation that would replace the existing School Act upon proclamation. Regulations are still in development, according to the Alberta Education website.