Here is a list of books, based on many helpful suggestions, that discuss whether school attendance should be compulsory, or what pattern of financing there should be for taxsupported schools, or the origins of the status quo of governmentoperated, compulsory schools in many places. Compulsory education differs from compulsory attendance, which means that parents are obliged to send their children to a certain school. There is now an effective compulsory attendance law upon the statute books of every state in the union except mississippi, and in mississippi a compulsory attendance law, permissive in character, was enacted in 1918. But lets say the federal government decided to pass legislation, modeled on longstanding state laws, requiring all residents of the united states to attend school until age 18 or face some penaltya fine, or being drafted into national service or whatever. Age 16 if a student has an alternative learning plan for obtaining a high school diploma or its equivalent 3. Compulsory education differs from compulsory attendance, which means. Is compulsory school attendance compatible with a free. The measure would have required children between eight and sixteen to attend a public school with some exceptions based on age, health and access to a parent or private teacher. Compulsory education refers to a period of education that is required of all people and is imposed by the government. Compulsory education the bane of learning and freedom. Were compulsory attendance and child labor laws effective. Depending on the country, this education may take place at a registered school or at home homeschooling. Even as schooling became more available, school attendance was often sporadic and infrequent. Governmentrun schools and compulsory attendance to any school are the antitheses of freedom, liberty, and learning.
See state compulsory education laws and home schooling alternatives to learn more. Most americans never question school compulsory attendance laws itself but instead focus on what occurs inside the classroom. Search the history of over 418 billion web pages on the internet. In its constitution of 1780, massachusetts expressly granted authority to the legislature to enforce compulsory attendance at school. The book opens with a chapter purporting to be a sociohistorical account of truancy.
Parochial schools and family homeschooling were replaced by laws forcing attendance for most students at government schools. Approximately 50million students, bound by state compulsory attendance laws, are trapped in what is essentially a prison of their bodies and minds. Compulsory attendance age children between the ages of 7 and 16 years old. State compulsory education laws generally hold parents accountable for their childrens schooling. Attendance requirements in texas schools compulsory attendance. Compulsory education is the name given to the legallyrequired period of time that children are expected to attend school. In maine, students must be at least 5 years old before october 15, or 4 years old by october 15 if they are enrolled in a public preschool program prior to kindergarten where offered. Massachusetts, over the rest of the century continued to extend and strengthen its compulsory education laws. Statemandated attendance has not been the historical norm. School attendance and enrollment rates in the united states, which rose substantially between 1870 and 1915, were accompanied by the enactment of compulsory attendance laws. However, attendance at school itself is not compulsory. Public schools, which can also be called government schools, are notorious for a wide array of problems. The time series is used to estimate the probability that a state passed or amended a compulsory attendance law. A history of compulsory school attendance and visiting teacher.
States can and do require children to attend school. Forced to attend a school, most will go to government schools. By 1900, however, the courts were rife with child labor disputes. Compulsory attendance home school legal defense association. Mar 24, 2012 no one seriously questions the constitutionality of these laws. This new movement called for compulsory attendance. By 1918, all states had compulsory attendance laws. Right to education in north carolina unc school of. State compulsory school attendance laws infoplease. In reality, the compulsory attendance laws are the linchpin in the plan for a socialist world government. If the child was eight years old and not more than fourteen years of age on the first day of september, it will come within the requirements of the law and be required to attend school sixty consecutive days during the school year 191617. A study of the historical development of regulations compelling attendance and limiting the labor of children in a selected group of states. Not long after the common school movement began, a new movement appeared.
The common school movement and compulsory education mises. The first compulsory education law in this country was enacted in 1642 in the massachusetts bay colony. History books detailing the common school movement and the push for universal, compulsory schooling perpetuate the myths that americans were illiterate prior to mass schooling, that there were limited education options available, and that mandating school attendance under a legal threat of force was the surest way toward equality. Montanas official state website education information. Depending on the country, this education may take place at a registered school schooling or at home homeschooling.
In the end, he predicts only slight changes in the states compulsory attendance laws. Were compulsory attendance and child labor laws responsible for the incredible growth in secondary schooling from 1915 to 1939. Compulsory education laws were quickly enacted in the name of protecting childrens welfare. Compulsory attendance law as applied to home instruction. When any child of compulsory school age, in violation of law, is not attending school, the attendance or other appropriate officer shall notify the parent, guardian, or other person having care of that child of the fact, and require the parent, guardian, or other person to cause the child to attend school immediately. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet.
The puritan notion of education as a moral, social obligation was thus given the sanction of law, a pattern later followed by nineteenth century crusaders for free public education. What research says and what it means for state policy sarah whitfield and grover j. These laws were put in place not only to improve literacy rates but also to discourage the widespread child labor practices of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Compulsory school attendance laws were first passed in massachusetts in 1852 and invariably spread to other sections of the country. Pennsylvania compulsory education laws require children between the ages of eight and 17 to attend school, with some exceptions. The specifics of pennsylvania compulsory education laws are highlighted below. The legislator says he does not expect this bill to pass in its present form and would not even support it. Compulsory school attendance development of compulsory. Can the federal government pass a compulsory education law. Compulsory attendance legislation in america, 1870 to 1915. Lawrence kotin and william aiken, in their book legal foundations of compulsory school attendance 1980, cite. Montana schools chief wants to raise compulsory age to 18.
English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health education, library skills, fine arts and, in at least one grade from grade 6. An economic history of compulsory attendance and child labor. One reason for the acceptance by the states of these laws was the belief that the public school was the best means to improve the literacy rate of the poor and to help assimilate an immigrant population that grew at a high rate between the mid nineteenth to the early twentieth centuries. Public schools, which can also be called government schools, are approximately 50million students, bound by state compulsory attendance laws, are trapped in what is essentially a prison of their bodies and minds. By 1918, all states had passed school attendance legislation. In 1974, the legislature enacted california education code ec section 48320 to enhance the enforcement of compulsory education laws and to divert students with school attendance or behavior problems from the juvenile justice system until all available resources have been exhausted. The local board of education will set the start and end dates for public schools in the county. Are compulsory school attendance laws good for america. The oregon compulsory public education bill, also known as measure 6, was on the november 7, 1922 ballot in oregon as an initiated state statute, where it was approved, but later overturned. The law confers upon the school authorities of any county in that state power to enforce compulsory attendance. Although some critics of public education are now questioning the value of compulsory schooling for all children, this concept is deeply ingrained in american history and social values. By the turn of the twentieth century, the public school system had achieved its maximum impact throughout the country. By 1918, every state had a compulsory attendance law on the books. As a result, once a child has reached the age of 18, he or she is no longer required by law to be enrolled in school.
The opinion states that classroom attendance instills a. Compulsory attendance law as applied to home instruction students 1. Helena montana superintendent of public instruction denise juneau told the governor in a meeting tuesday that she will ask the 2011 legislature to increase the compulsory attendance age from. Oct 05, 2018 history books detailing the common school movement and the push for universal, compulsory schooling perpetuate the myths that americans were illiterate prior to mass schooling, that there were limited education options available, and that mandating school attendance under a legal threat of force was the surest way toward equality. History books detailing the common school movement and the push. Massachusetts passed a compulsory education law in 1852, although the plymouth and massachusetts bay settlements had compulsory laws in the seventeenth century. The superintendent of the school district to which the child is ordered may. Feb 11, 2020 approximately 50million students, bound by state compulsory attendance laws, are trapped in what is essentially a prison of their bodies and minds. If you have suggestions of books that explain or debate the.
Using 1960 census data, i find that legally requiring children to attend school for 1 more year, by increasing the age required for a work permit or lowering the entrance age, increased educational attainment by about 5 percent. By 1900, thirtytwo states had passed compulsory education laws and by 1930 all the states had some form of this law in place. Compulsory education the bane of learning and freedom the. This day in georgia history first compulsory school attendance law. Apr 27, 2011 the glaring fact is that despite our compulsory attendance laws, we now have more illiteracy and ignorance among americans than before such laws were enacted. Passing compulsory school attendance would signify the benign role of the state, aligning it against sectarian and class divisions. Under nc law, children may enroll in school at 5 years old g. Compulsory education differs from compulsory attendance, which means that parents are obliged to send.
Upon the childs request and with the written approval of the childs parent or guardian, any child who is 17 years of age or over may be excused by the school board from regular school attendance if the child and his or her parent or guardian agree, in writing, that the child will participate in a program or curriculum modification under par. The first compulsory education law in this country was. These laws became progressively stricter until the supreme courts pierce v. Your child receives the maximum benefit of education by being in school every day, and numerous studies show a strong link between academic performance and consistent attendance.
Compulsory attendance laws are crafted by each state to require school attendance for children of certain. Universal educational opportuni ties could be provided but these would not assure mass educa tion without the means of insuring attendance. Though we like to think of america as a free country, when it comes to education we are confronted with compulsory school attendance laws, compulsory property. There are certain exceptions, most notably homeschooling, but virtually all states have mandates for when children must begin school and how old they must be before dropping out. The present moment in compulsory school attendance. Compulsory attendance legislation in america, 1870 to. The need of compulsory education in the south for these reasons i recommend. Eric ed119389 a history of compulsory education laws. Compulsory school attendance the maryland peoples law. Date of enactment of first compulsory attendance law. Compulsory attendance laws helped accelerate this process and provided the means of delivering a common school curriculum. Within one calendar month of the opening of school, each school board shall send to the parents or guardian of each student enrolled in the division a copy of the compulsory school attendance law and the enforcement procedures and policies established by the school board.
Check your school systems website for calendars and. If everyone can read the street signs when they are driving and can do the basic math to manage their household expenses, we. Compulsory attendance law missouri department of elementary. The gradual institutionalization of child labor laws along with increasing technology made many unskilled jobs obsolete and led to a rising unemployment for lower class youth. A time series of passage and amendments to compulsory attendance laws is compiled for 1870 to 1915. In a matter related to school attendance and grades, the michigan attorney general issued an opinion cited as 1978 oag 5414 that states that the compulsory school attendance law recognizes an educational value in regular attendance at school. Without doubt, compulsory schooling is entrenched not only in the laws of all the states except mississippi, but also in the attitudes. This article explores the cultural and legal history of compulsory school attendance laws. Age 18 and older effective july 1, 2017, the compulsory attendance age in maryland is 18 years old. The questions are addressed as separate but related issues. Oregon compulsory public education, measure 6 1922. A brief history of compulsory schooling laws in canada concerns about school attendance emerged soon after the introduction of the public education system in canada at the end of the nineteenth century. Development of compulsory school attendance philosophy and laws, exemptions and. Age 16 if a child enrolls in a general education development test preparation program that is school based or for which a school contracts, and the child successfully completes.
Schools are required by law to be open for at least three hours each school day, for at least 180 days school days, and for at least 1,080 school hours during a 10month period in each school year. Accordingly, in 1789, massachusetts enacted the first general school law in the country, mandating public schools throughout the state, certifying school teachers, specifying curricula, and enforcing compulsory attendance at school. State compulsory education laws state laws requiring school attendance by children within a certain age range are fairly similar to one another. Such laws have been used by every modern dictator to. Georgias first compulsory school attendance law was signed by gov. Colorado may be first to dump compulsory education. All states have compulsory education laws and allow exemptions for private schools and homeschooling, although the regulation of nonpublic schooling varies from state to state.
Compulsory education education gale encyclopedia of. Suppose that we had been living with that national compulsory church attendance law for the entire history of the united states. Subsequently the numbers of children receiving an education increased dramatically. The reason for compulsory education laws is that we generally want everyone to have at least a basic level of education. Compulsory education laws require children to attend a public or stateaccredited private school for a certain period of time. In the western world, these laws generally require that children attend. Featured texts all books all texts latest this just in smithsonian libraries fedlink us. Variation in date of enactment of compulsory school attendance. Public schools, which can also be called government schools, are. In 1862, for example, it made jailing of habitual truant children mandatory, and extended school age to between ages seven and sixteen. In the administration of the compulsory school attendance law, the first day of september will be employed in determining the childs scholastic age. In this view, compulsory school attendance was a means to a moral goal, for universal schooling best fit the emerging image of the nation as an organic unity that superceded particular groups or localities. Compulsory school attendance the maryland peoples law library.