It is a ceremony used in
Reform Judaism.
Congregations mark the beginning of formal Jewish education, usually with K or 1st grade. It is a group ceremony often celebrated on
Simchat Torah, and usually the young participants are given a small replica of a
torah (can you read
4-point type?) to symbolize the start of their study of torah.
Consecration is not based on
traditional rituals, and is not observed in
Orthodox congregations. Some
Conservative congregations do observe the ceremony. They either call it "
consecration", or opt for the more Jewish-sounding names (ie simchat torah).
In the
Orthodox communities of England and Australia: The ceremony has nothing to do with children. The term 'Consecration' refers to the official unveiling of a tombstone. Roughly a year (although often as early as 3 months or as late as 2 years), a
minyan is held at the gravesite while
kaddish and a few
psalms are recited.