As the Church has pushed Confirmation later and later -- in my diocese it's tenth grade -- it has become more difficult to get the kids involved. And the requirements have become more stringent. Recently in my parish the service hours requirement went from 24 hours over two years -- the Confirmation program is two years long -- to 60 hours over the two years with 30 hours per year.
I have known parents who opted out of having their kids confirmed because they weren't able to make the necessary time commitment. The Church has made it difficult for parents and kids alike. I was Confirmed in fourth grade; that it makes a difference in kids' lives whether their confirmed in fourth grade or tenth grade is not borne out.
Our Parish moved the Confirmation prep classes to Sunday nights, just after 5:30 Mass. They were 1-1/2 hrs. long, and the kids rarely had outside work to do. I was mystified by the number of parents and kids who claimed that this was a hardship. Yes, they did have Service work, but it amounted to 3 mornings over the course of 8 months; a total of 9 hours. The Director of the Program had Service opportunities almost every Saturday for that time period. Yes, the kids who did sports might have had some difficulty, but we provided other possibilities for them. The problem was that the parents just didn't take it seriously, so not surprisingly, neither did the kids.
When the kids in my class would complain about the time commitment, I reminded them that this was a very important Sacrament, one which would make them 'adults' in their Faith, and responsible for their own salvation, so it needed some serious commitment on their part.
I understand the Bishops desire to put the Sacraments in 'order', but I wonder if the kids will understand the nature of Confirmation at that age. I guess it's like the Eucharist, though. Kids 7 or 8 yrs. old may not completely understand it right at first, but with continual teaching, will come to understand it in a more adult way.