Just out of interest, what about a child who weeps and sobs every day at a normal state school? Do you take them out of school altogether? (personally yes I would consider this as have always loved the idea of home school. ) Or do you give them coping techniques (as they did in that programme), try to distract them and say 'You'll get used to it'? Would you castigate a mother who did and talk about long term psychological damage? And if not, why not?
I can remember all the mothers being told 'say goodbye and walk away quickly' when leaving DCs at school for first time. Some children found it v hard to settle. But we all agreed 'they'll adjust, they'll love it'. And sure enough they did - or seemed to. But how do we really know??
Isn't it completely arbitrary how we as a society have delineated what is 'acceptable' distress and separation 'for the good of our children'? Any school is a form of institutionalisation to some extent, after all.
I find it fascinating how everyone here assumes without question that the status quo (day school, start at four, three terms) must be fine because we all do it. As I said before I think there is a massive spectrum and all forms of education, childcare etc fall on it somewhere, with attachment parenting/home school at one end and boarding school/holiday guardian at the other. But how people can be so sure they've chosen exactly the right place on the spectrum... I really don't know.