Re Bagpuss, IIRC from my time at school, learning was phased in quite gradually. The first year in particular was mostly to get you used to being around other kids, and then getting you used to staying still long enough to have a lesson. Whilst European countries don't start 'formal' education that early, they have kindergartens which go from age 3 or 4 to fulfill a similar role.

The biggest problem (Gervase came up with it, I think) is the lack of education at home. If the teacher's trying to teach, but the parents are saying "We never needed education", or "I won't read to you, sit and watch the TV" then they're unlikely to get anywhere. I was reading from before I can remember - my parents say that I was reading Winnie the Pooh to my sister around 3 or 4! - and that's exclusively down to my folks encouraging reading. In fact, they decided not to have a TV, and that _made_ us read for entertainment.

And reading is the best way to pick up grammar. Written language is a slightly different beast from spoken language, and like any language you learn it best by doing it, not by learning the theory.

If you banned everyone with children between 2 and 7 from owning a TV, you've have a lot less illiteracy...

Grab.