what if we lowed school age too three year age not five year age.

[flowers114]

WHAT IF SCHOOL AGE WAS LOWEDTO 3YEAR OLD IN STEAD OF FIVE year old
Do think more MUMS go out work instead of saying house.
Been able TO earn extra money for your shelf.

Zippititotoes, didn't notice that!
Honestly Marina, I just thought the OP had a touch of "Why not send them down the mines" about it, thats all.
Batters, may I suggest Sweden? They have a fab system of free childcare, maternity leave of 18 months and they invented ABBA. What more could you want!

compulsory formal education from 3, possibly not.

But optional free full-time nursery-type places from 3 don't sound so daft. Especially if full-time attendance isn't compulsory... Actually this sounds slightly similar to the 'ecole maternelle' system in France - any MNers have experience of this?

flowers114, if you are genuine, I apologise.

I wouldn't want to see school compulsary from 3 yrs old, but I would really like to see some proper provision for childcare to improve the situation we currently have.
If the Government is serious about wanting women to have equal opportunities in the workplace then one of the areas it should look at is good, affordable childcare (as well as discrimination in the workplace & all the other stuff).

it's not actually free in Sweden the parents do pay fees for pre school under age 6

If the OP is who SL, batters and I think she is, chipmonkey, then she actually works in an after-school club setting so has a workplace perspective on wraparound care I guess.
If you did not see the original thread then you could hardly be expected to know the back history, so don't worry about it.
I did and am still sorry as a moderator I did not intervene sooner to help flowers out then, so am pleased to see she feels able to post again and hopeful she will find this discussion of interest.

I think tax rebates for all child care costs should be made

in Sweden the compulsion is on the state to provide not on the individual to use