May 25, 2005
Compulsory Attendance Bill Introduced
The Louisiana legislature began this year with a challenge when a bill was introduced that would lower the compulsory attendance age from 7 to 5. If passed, this bill would cause homeschool parents to file as a home-based private school or in a home study approval program two years earlier than now required.
Home School Legal Defense Association opposes expanding the compulsory attendance age because it is an infringement of a parent's constitutional right to direct their children's education and upbringing. Some children are simply not ready for school at age 5 or 6. We believe that parents are in the best position to determine when a child should begin school.
Additionally, lowering the compulsory attendance age would place a greater burden on taxpayers to pay for the teachers and larger schools needed to accommodate the influx of children into the public school system.
For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum at http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=2286.
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