New California Law To Raise Kindergarten Eligibility Age

The San Diego Union-Tribune (10/5, Persinger) reports that California officials expect the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010, now signed into law, "to reduce the current 460,000 kindergarten students each year by 120,000 children once it is fully phased in. ... Under the law, the [kindergarten] eligibility date will move up by one month each year until 2014, when only children who turn 5 years old by Sept. 1 will be allowed to enroll." According to the Union-Tribune, "Supporters of the law say the youngest kindergartners lack the physical, emotional and even intellectual maturity to deal with today's kindergarten, which focuses more on academics than finger painting."