Should my child skip a school year?

School exemption

A school exemption is a special measure granted by the school board to allow a child to start preschool (kindergarten) or primary (1st year), before having reached the required age. In Quebec, the Basic school regulation for preschool, elementary and secondary education (s. 12) requires that a child reach the age of five no later than September 30 (for entry at preschool level) and six years no later than September 30 (for entry into the first year of primary school).

However, the Law on Public Education provides for the possibility of deviating from this rule. For about 30 years, it has effectively been possible to allow the early admission of a child to kindergarten or first grade, while respecting certain conditions as stipulated by various articles of the Regulation respecting exceptional admissibility to preschool education and primary education. It is therefore a special measure which may be granted for humanitarian reasons or in order to avoid serious harm to the child. To do this, it must be demonstrated by a specialist such as a psychologist or psychoeducator that the child clearly stands out on the intellectual, social, emotional and psychomotor levels. (1)

The purpose of the exemption is to confirm and demonstrate that the child will suffer harm if school entry is delayed another year.

Common symptoms:

• Above average socio-emotional maturity
• Keen intelligence
• Intellectual curiosity
• Ease of learning

Assessment and intervention:

The purpose of the school exemption assessment is to determine the risk of harm to the child and clearly indicate the nature of the harm experienced if the child is not admitted early. The assessment should also compare the child's level of development in relation to that of children of the same age group and demonstrate the significant gap between them. The language of assessment for the school exemption must be the same as that of the child's schooling, regardless of their mother tongue.

References 

1. Order of psychoeducators and psychoeducators of Quebec. Assessment for the purpose of school exemption; Guidelines. Montreal: Quebec, Order of psychoeducators and psychoeducators of Quebec, 2015.