Health Ministry calls on parents not to rush to send their children to school before the age of 7

How accurate is it to send a child to school before the age of 7? What changes are observed in the mental and physical state of the child at this age? The press secretary of the Health Ministry Furkat Sanayev appealed to the doctor of medical sciences, professor Shoanvar Shomansurov with such important questions.

- Why is the school age set at 7?

- The law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On education” stipulates that children are admitted to the first grade of general secondary education in the year when they turn 7 years old. However, before this number was 6-7 years. At present, the school age is set at 7 years. There are many reasons for this.

First of all, in the seventh year of a child’s life, the range of movements in him expands and becomes clearer, and the interaction of movements begins. 6-7 year old children begin to be able to self-manage and control their actions. During this period, the child’s height increases significantly and weighs 22-24 kilograms.

At the age of 7, the child becomes practical and curious. His cognitive power rapidly evolves. He begins to strive to know material existence. Hygienic skills are formed in them.

- What skills should be developed in a school-age child?

- A 7-year-old child must be accustomed to doing exercises independently. In order to prevent injury, it is necessary to develop in the child the skills of caution, the ability to control their movements. It is especially important to cultivate in the child the qualities of agility, courage and resourcefulness.

At this age, the child should know how to hang on a rope, fly a swing, walk on a sloping board and stand on one leg as a “swallow”. Parents should teach them to squeeze and lift objects with his toes, to move them from one place to another. These exercises help to strengthen the nervous system of children, their mental development.

It is important to shape his speech at this age. It is important to teach the child to ask short, interesting questions, to talk more, to distinguish the sequence of sounds in a word, to make syllables from sounds, to form words.

- What should be done if the child has imperfections in these processes?

- If a child has a speech impediment, parents should take him to a speech therapist. If there are any deficiencies in his memory or thinking, see a neurologist.

Because during the preparation for school the child’s nerves become tense, as the responsibility increases, children may experience pathological changes such as distraction, hyperactivity, rapid forgetfulness, crying, involuntary movements and whimsy.

School age is the first big step in a child’s adaptation to society. That is why this period should not leave a negative mark on his memory. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get out of its influence in the future.

Giving a child to school early is the greatest risk ever taken in such an important period. Unfortunately, some parents voluntarily try to send their children to school from the age of 6. Worst of all, this situation often ends with the child’s inability to adapt to school. This leads to negative tension, mental stress, boredom from education and inability to adapt to the social environment.

At this very period, rapid fatigue in the child, speech disorders, difficulty concentrating become clearly visible. Therefore, every parent should keep in mind that the above-mentioned conditions can worsen the health of children and negatively affect their learning.

If parents really care about their children’s future and health, they should not try to send them to school from the age of 6. By doing so, they will have done great good for themselves and their children.