Sex Differences and Legal School Entrance Age

Abstract

Many children are not ready for the traditional first grade of public school when they are chronologically approaching six years of age. Particularly is this true of boys. Boys usually develop in nearly all respects more slowly than girls. Much of the re search in sex differences indicates that girls should be admitted at least three or more months younger than boys; or, better, that the entering age for boys should be raised three or more months. Studies over a ten-year period in the Tulsa schools indicate that there is need for different legal entering ages for boys and girls. However, it is freely granted that admission, ideally,should be on the basis of a comprehensive physical and mental test pro gram, thus providing for those frequent exceptions which will in evitably occur. However, this is not practicable in a large school system. The state legislature is probably the only body in a po sition to make a legal differentiation. Some Implications