Should school attendance be a requirement for children in a free country?

Question

I've been pondering this one: should children be OBLIGATED to be educated, or could they willingly opt out of being part of the public (or private) education system? School would instead be something that was encouraged by parents or caregivers, but never a legal requirement.

I'm thinking of this in terms of the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". In terms of liberty, could an American child willingly opt out of attending school either publically or privately, and instead live life in any terms that they want, opting instead to educate themselves anyway that they choose?

Should there be laws requiring public school?

(And I'm not looking for fiery, angry responses. I'm just curious what people think, and if there is a valid argument for requiring public school, or if, by the terms of the Declaration of Independence, does liberty entitle one to be free to choose whether or not they wish to attend a school system?)

Oh, and I'm a college grad over 30.

Answer 1

People have the right to home-school their children, they are not mandated to attend public school. Parents have the choice of sending their child to private schools as well. It is necessary for all children to receive an education, but parents do have personal choices to consider about how and where their child will be educated. I teach in a public elementary school, and I defend the rights of parents to "opt out" of public education if they feel it does not meet the needs of their child. Home schooling is very difficult, however many home-schooled children receive a better education because it can be tailored to the individual needs of the child, not just what the state or No Child Left Behind mandates. Many children do not flourish in public school because of large class sizes and are more productive learners in a smaller, private classroom or in a very small home school environment.

Answer 2

You mean, should a child have the freedom to remain ignorant?
Liberty entails the responsibility for making educated and informed choices. A child, by definition, isn't deemed to be responsible for charting the course of their lives. I believe they do need education -- more, that they require education in a public school (or the equivalent) to ensure that they get the most rounded education possible. I really challenge the value of some small, sectarian schools, whose views are very restricted and limited in scope, and doubt whether children attending these schools are actually being given the grounding they need to move forward in today's world, and to understand as much as possible about other societies in that world.
It's hard to believe the Declaration of Independence was meant to be applied to children. After all, that means they would be free of parental discipline as well!

Answer 3

If a child was given the option whether to attend school or not, you can count on it that most kids will stay at home as home is more inviting than school or any other place for: (let's assume ) the average person. Also you have too look at the bigger picture, it is not just about a child getting educated for himself/herself - its all about having an educated populace to enter into all areas of society and make the country a progressive and prosperous one. This is very important indeed. Attending school for the average person as I understand is law and should be, but - and I underline but- it is also the children's right to have a proper and safe educational environment in order to effectively learn and acquire skills. Home schooling should not be allowed unless confirmed by a doctor or specialist that special circumstances permit it. This should also be monitored by the educational departments to see if the child is receiving sufficient study time and that the home schooling option isn't abused by those who are capable of attending full time schooling.

Answer 4

I don't know how old you are, and what gender, so I'm going to answer this question as such. The Declaration of Independence is a joke. It is constantly violated, so going by the Declaration of Independence is not a good idea. Example? either in the Declaration of Independence or one of the famous documents, it clearly states that religion shall not be mixed with politics. With that in mind, do you know what is one of the biggest issues? homosexuals marrying. Who is spearheading that? The PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Even when couples marry, they get different tax privileges, even though religion shall not be mixed with politics.

Should school attendance be a requirement? Absolutely not, considering people are free and can make there own choices according to the declaration, but in reality, School attendance will be around even after I die. and I'm under 30.

Answer 5

I believe there must be laws requiring school attendance. We could debate at what age attendance is no longer required, but for elementary age students it must be required because some parents would not send their children if it was not required by law and they also would not home school them. I cannot imagine what kind of country this would be if we had uneducated children running around. Ignorance is not a good thing.

Interesting question though!

Answer 6

To my knowledge, all modern countries have requirements that children complete certain level of education.

I see this in two ways:

1) This is to prevent and protect children from not obtaining balanced education due to parents esoteric beliefs. There are all kinds of people with all kinds of beliefs. Some beliefs are balanced and good. Some are harmful and dangerous. Children deserves to decide what is good for him/her and to do this, he/she needs to have an education not based solely on that belief.

2) In order for the children to live "free" life in the future, he/she needs to be able to sustain him/herselves. Without education, this is hardly possible. It is a duty of the adult, thus society to facilitate this and equip the future generation with sufficient knowledge.

Oh, one more thing (that makes 3 reasons, I guess)

Freedom and rights come with obligations and responsibilities. In our country, we all have the obligation to work and be self-sufficient. How would one accomplish this and live a free life without a mean to sustain it? Social services? That would negate the "freedom" and "independence" wouldn't it.... by depending on the government....

Answer 7

You cite the Declaration of Independance, and you want the children, the future of America to be dependant for the rest of their lives?

I don't think it says Life, Liberty and the pursuit of stupidity.

Answer 8

Children should be required to go to school, if they were not the literacy rate in this country would drop even lower than it is now. The unemployment rate would soar and as a tax paying citizen I personally do not want to pay for an uneducated person to live, I have enough trouble paying for gas.

Answer 9

Maybe, and maybe not. Depends on the person. If he likes to make things or do things that are technical, he would not need to attend school. If he likes sciences or math, better to attend school so teachers can help. Counties like Singapore make school compulsory until University. Actually, it really depends on the person's interest.

Answer 10

Adults cannot be counted on to make appropriate decisions for children. Children are too young to make that decision for themselves. Therefore, I do believe it is the responsibility of our government to ensure that everyone gets an education.