"The law change will mean that some children will have to wait longer than their fifth birthday to start at the school that their parents have chosen for them if that school has adopted cohort entry."
Kaye said this is Labour telling parents what they should and shouldn't do for their kids, rather than allowing them choice.
"This is about flexibility to those parents in the measure of six to eight weeks, and we think that is a reasonable thing to do."
But Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said this was a decision made in the interest of kids, and is brushing off the nanny state criticism.
"I think that [claim] just gets thrown around willy-nilly."
It is the second time the Opposition has accused the Government of being a "nanny state" over parenting choices.
Amy Adams fired off the claim earlier this month, when she slammed Labour for planning to reject her amendment to the Paid Parental Leave bill allowing parents to take leave at the same time.
"This is the Labour Governments of old, going back to the nanny state of telling families how to arrange their lives," she said at the time.
- with content from nzherald.co.nz
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