Under New Jersey law, you must give your child an education that is academically “equivalent” to what he or she would receive at school.
“Equivalent” does not mean “identical.” In practice, if parents have been making a good-faith effort to give their child an education that is appropriate for the child’s age and covers the major subjects, the courts have not ordered them to stop homeschooling.
For comparison purposes, New Jersey’s public high schools usually offer instruction in the following areas:
- language arts (4 years),
- math (3 years),
- science (3 years),
- world history (1 year),
- civics and/or U.S. and New Jersey history (2 years),
- health/safety/physical education (2.5 hours per week for 4 years),
- financial/economic or business/entrepreneurial (1 semester),
- visual or performing arts (1 year),
- foreign language (1 year, or show proficiency),
- career/technical/vocational (1 year), and
- “technological literacy,” civics, economics, geography, and “global content” (not as separate subjects, but “integrated” throughout).
Also for comparison purposes, the GED tests reading, writing, social studies, science, and math.
See the New Jersey Department of Education’s answers to frequently asked questions regarding homeschooling here.
Note: School districts occasionally demand that families send written notice that they are homeschooling, or get approval from the district—but these are not required under the law.
Please note: The information on this page has been reviewed by an attorney, but it should not be taken as legal advice specific to your individual situation.