Originally Posted by pandamom:
We're overseas and the department of defense (American public school) is seriously overcrowded. There are no transferring school districts- you go to the school you are residentially zoned for. The age cut-off is beginning of September and there are no waivers to start kindergarten even if the birthday is one day later.
While I think it stinks, I can see why the schools here do that. The problem is that there are very limited preschool options here unless your child is developmentally delayed or you want to shell out $600 a month for 8 hours a week.
I think if a child isn't socially ready for kindergarten, I see no reason why they need to be rushed into kindergarten. Thankfully my boys qualify for the developmental preschool (speech delays) and they go to the NAEYC accredited childcare center I work at so they're getting the fundamentals ready. If they weren't getting these, I could totally see them maybe not being ready socially for kindergarten right when they turn 5.
My niece was raised in Reilingen and went to the local German schools from K-10. She moved back here at 16 and entered college.