This paper explores national patterns of entry to primary school in England over the past decade. It focuses on deferred entry (where children begin Reception with the cohort below) and delayed entry (where children miss some or all of Reception, and enter Year 1 with their 'normal' cohort). In 2014, the Department for Education's (DfE's) guidance…

This study analyzes the effect of age-based retention on school achievement at different stages of education. I estimate an instrumental variable model, using the predicted probability of retention given month of birth as an instrument, while simultaneously accounting for the effect of month of birth on maturity at the time of testing. The…

As a result of Universal Primary Education (UPE) and reform efforts, primary school enrollment in Uganda doubled from 2.9 million in 1995 to 5.8 million by 1998. By 2016, enrollment had reached 8.3 million. Although enrollment gains have been dramatic, the completion rate has stalled for at least a decade, with only about 60% of learners…

This paper describes a 2016 pilot study undertaken in Uganda to document the real repetition rate in Primary 1 classes and to examine the relationship between repetition in Primary 1 and attendance in pre-primary education. The study explored knowledge and practice about the age of entry for children into pre-primary education and Primary 1. It…

Late school entry is driven by several factors, one of the key ones being the cost barrier to schooling. Policies such as free primary education (FPE) that advocate for universal coverage are therefore partly aimed at removing the cost barrier. The Kenyan Government, like many in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), introduced FPE in 2003 with the aim of…

Malawi was the first country after the Jomtien conference to offer free primary education. Despite this policy, universal education has remained elusive. Many children do enroll in school, but not at the official/recommended age and drop out before completing school. Understanding these transition points--entry and completion--is critical to the…

Late entry into primary school is a widespread phenomenon in developing countries. Students who enter school late are more likely to repeat grades, drop out and perform more poorly. Yet the phenomenon has received little scholarly attention, and there is a dearth of cross-national data. In this paper, we draw on data from the Multiple Indicator…

Since 1997 Uganda has seen a large increase in school enrolment. Despite this increased enrolment, universal education has remained elusive. Many children enrol in school, but not at the recommended age, and they drop out before completing school. This article focuses on one of these problems--delayed school entry. What household factors are…

The study tested the hypothesis that in a group of 188 elementary school children labeled gifted, there would be more children who were older when they entered first grade than those who were younger first grade entries. Analyses of data revealed significantly fewer early entering and more later entering gifted children. (SB)

Studied effects of beginning school age and gender on later school achievement and retention in grade (N=117). No significant differences among the three age groups were found at kindergarten, second, or fourth grade. Differences in achievement between boys and girls were noted. (BH)

Examines whether there is a significant difference between the achievement test scores of students who entered first grade as five year olds and those who entered as six year olds. Subjects were selected from Grades 1, 4, and 8. (MP)

Estimations of enrollment age and schooling duration for Tanzanian children revealed different patterns for boys and girls. Although girls have lower levels of education, they enroll earlier, either because of lower returns to preschool experience for girls or parental desire to prepare them for the marriage market as soon as possible. (SK)

Children are generally identified as learning disabled as a result of their achievement and perceptual skills below an expectancy level which is based on mental age, grade level and/or chronological age. Despite its usefulness, Maturity is infrequently considered. The ages at entrance to school of a group of 67 learning disabled (LD) students…

All children should be started in school, and subsequently promoted, on basis of their behavior age rather than on basis of their age in years. Research data support this idea, and some schools that have adopted it as policy find that they can reduce failure by 50 percent. A child's school readiness can be tested with a behavior examination. (KH)

The ages at entrance to school of a group of learning disabled students and a group of systematically selected students were compared. The learning disabled group showed a moderate tendency to be younger than their peers when starting school, indicating their risk of being identified as learning disabled. (Author/BS)