When should a child start school?
New research into Grade 1 readiness is challenging long-held assumptions about early school entry in South Africa. In this episode of Making Sense, Gareth Edwards speaks to researcher Bianca Bohmer about why younger learners are more likely to repeat, how developmental readiness affects learning outcomes, and why poorer communities are disproportionately impacted.
The conversation explores the relationship between age, emotional development, repetition rates and inequality in the education system, while also unpacking the difficult decisions parents face when deciding whether a child is truly ready for Grade 1.
