Children are not obliged to attend school in the year they turn six, Education Minister Naledi Pandor said on Monday.
Children should be taken to school in the year that they turn seven, unless their parents can provide proof that their child was ready for school at an earlier age, the minister told reporters in Pretoria.
If this was the case, the child could only be sent to school if he or she turned six before the end of June of that particular year.
Pandor said it was probably better to wait, as children sent to school too early often had learning problems.
Her remarks appeared to contradict a statement issued by the education department earlier in the day to the effect that: “The age of admission to Grade 1 is five years old if the child turns six on or before 30 June in their Grade 1 year”.
“However, if a parent has reason to believe that their child is not school ready at age five turning six, they can choose to send their child to Grade 1 at age six turning seven,” it said.
The department’s statement was issued in response to a report on 702 Talk Radio that the new admission age for Grade 1 was five years.
Several parents reportedly told 702 Eyewitness News they were being told to enrol their children in Grade 1 at the age of five next year, rather than Grade 0.
The station quoted the Gauteng education department’s Tidi Malo Nkotoe as saying that circulars were sent to nursery schools and primary schools over the past few years, informing them of the changes to the admission age.
The department’s statement said the age of admission was initially the year in which a child turned seven.
“However, a Constitutional Court challenge to the Bill in 2003 resulted in the school going age to Grade 1 to be changed to age five if they turn six on or before 30 June in their Grade 1 year. This was implemented with effect from the 2004 school year and is still in place.”
But Pandor disagreed, saying it was not compulsory to take a child to school if he turned six before June in that year.
The department urged parents with queries to use its national hotline — 0800 202 933 — during office hours. – Sapa