Hundreds of children regarded as "young for their year" are set to be allowed to delay starting school in 2022.
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Stormont's Education Committee has signalled its support for fast-tracking a bill to allow flexibility on school starting age.
It would allow children born between 1 April and 1 July to defer starting pre-school and school for a year if their parents wished.
Education Minister Michelle McIlveen has sought "accelerated passage".
This would allow the law to be passed before the end of the current Stormont mandate before the election in May.
Accelerated passage allows new legislation to be passed quickly as long as it has cross-community support.
The bill is still to be debated in the assembly but the committee's approval is an important step in enabling it to go forward.
'Real benefits'
A recent consultation on the plans by the Department of Education (DE) received overwhelming support.
Northern Ireland has one of the youngest primary school starting ages in Europe.
In many other European countries children do not start formal primary education until they are aged six or even seven, but most spend time in pre-school before then.
Most children in Northern Ireland start school in September of the school year after their fourth birthday.
However, children whose birthdays fall between 2 July and 31 August usually start in the September after their fifth birthday.
Prematurely-born children
Some MLAs, though, said the new law should be extended to all children born prematurely - not just those born between 1 April and 1 July.
The committee chairman, Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle, said it was "disappointing and somewhat irregular" to revert to accelerated passage but there was "a large degree of consensus" around school starting age.
He said accelerated passage had his "qualified support."
"The bill wouldn't be passing without accelerated passage and that will involve support of all the parties," he said.