Why Parents Are Pressing Pause on School Start
More Australian parents are choosing to delay their child’s school start—not to give them a competitive academic edge, but to ensure they’re socially and emotionally ready. Concerns about confidence, maturity, and even physical size are increasingly shaping when families decide to send kids to school.
Dr Penny Van Bergen, Associate Professor in the Psychology of Education at Macquarie University, joined us to unpack the reasons behind this growing trend. She explained that parents are prioritising emotional regulation, attention span, and peer interaction over reading levels or numeracy skills. For many, it’s also about lifestyle—balancing work demands, avoiding childcare costs, or simply spending more time together before formal education begins.
As more classrooms fill with students at very different stages of development, the challenge now lies in how schools and educators can support every child, no matter when they start. Delaying school isn’t about getting ahead—it’s about getting the timing right for each child.
Article on The Conversation: Parents delay sending kids to school for social reasons and physical size. It’s not about academic advantage
