Fewer junior infants starting at age 4

IRISH parents are sending their sons and daughters to school later, despite rising childcare costs.

Department of Education figures indicate the proportion of four-year-olds in junior infant classes has fallen from more than 43% of almost 58,500 who started primary school in September 2005 to less than 40% of those in infant classes four years later.

The data is based on information collected by the Department of Education from every school each autumn, including a question asking what ages children in each class group would be the following January 1.