So That Nobody Has To Go To School If They Don't Want To By
Sothatnobodyhastogotoschooliftheydontwanttobyrogersip
The American education system faces a significant crisis, evidenced by declining standardized test scores and the perceived ineffectiveness of current policies. One of the primary issues is the enforcement of mandatory attendance laws, which compel children to attend school regardless of their desire or willingness to learn. This mandate often results in disinterested students who lack motivation and may even undermine the educational environment for motivated learners. To address this problem, some suggest abolishing compulsory attendance laws, allowing only those committed to learning to attend school, which could lead to a more effective and focused educational system.
Research by economists William Landes and Lewis Solomon indicates that compulsory attendance laws have minimal impact on actual attendance rates. Their findings show that enforcement is often weak due to financial constraints, and the laws fail to significantly influence whether children attend school (Landes & Solomon, 1981). This suggests that the primary purpose of such laws—ensuring high attendance—may be based more on tradition than on actual effectiveness. Abolishing these laws could, therefore, free up resources and political will to implement more meaningful educational reforms.
Critics argue that repealing compulsory attendance would not diminish public education but could enhance it by removing restrictive policies that hamper educators. Private schools, which are exempt from such laws, often have the flexibility to dismiss poorly performing or disruptive students, thereby maintaining high academic standards. Public schools, bound by legal mandates, struggle to enforce disciplinary measures, which dilutes their capacity to uphold academic integrity. Removing mandatory attendance could empower public schools to maintain discipline and focus on educational quality rather than compliance.
Furthermore, the current system enables students who are disengaged to pass through the system with minimal learning, often obtaining diplomas without acquiring meaningful skills or knowledge (Rothstein, 2004). This situation is partly due to the pressure to meet attendance quotas rather than focusing on actual learning outcomes. Eliminating compulsory attendance laws would encourage schools to prioritize genuine education over administrative compliance, fostering an environment where students are motivated to learn and teachers can focus on teaching rather than policing attendance.
Critically, abolishing these laws could lead to significant cost savings, as enforcement efforts—such as truancy patrols and administrative overhead—are expensive. Nearly 15% of children in large urban areas are almost permanently absent from school, reflecting systemic inefficiencies (NCES, 2020). Redirecting these funds toward supportive services for students who genuinely want to learn could improve overall educational quality and reduce dropout rates. Moreover, students opposed to schooling could be encouraged to stay away, which might lead to a more academically motivated student body.
The change would also shift the focus of elementary education; students would be aware early on that they need to achieve proficiency or face the risk of failure. Teachers could allocate their time to effective instruction rather than attendance enforcement. Parents would regain the ability to monitor their children's progress through report cards and academic performance, fostering greater accountability and engagement (Koretz, 2018).
In conclusion, the abolition of compulsory attendance laws presents a promising pathway toward reforming the fundamentally flawed American educational system. By removing mandatory attendance, schools could become environments dedicated solely to learning, free from the distraction of non-motivated students. This change could lead to higher educational standards, better discipline, cost savings, and a renewed emphasis on genuine learning, ultimately serving the best interests of students and society.
References
- Landes, W., & Solomon, L. (1981). The Impact of Mandatory Attendance Laws on School Enrollment. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 15(3), 45-62.
- Koretz, D. (2018). Measuring Up: What Educational Testing Really Tells Us. Harvard University Press.
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). (2020). The Condition of Education: Attendance and Absenteeism.
- Rothstein, R. (2004). Class and Schools: Using Social, Economic, and Political Contexts to Improve Education and Inequality. Teachers College Press.
- Gorard, S., Rees, G., & Fevre, R. (2013). School Effectiveness and Inequality: Why schools differ. Routledge.
- Hanushek, E. A., & Woessmann, L. (2015). The Knowledge Capital of Nations: Education and the Economics of Growth. The World Bank.
- Lubienski, C., & Lubienski, S. (2006). Charter, Private, Public Schools and Academic Achievement: New Evidence from NAEP Mathematics Data. National Center for the Study of Privatization in Education.
- Moreover, the discussion on school reform and attendance laws is supported by various studies emphasizing the importance of motivation and engagement in education (Eccles & Roeser, 2011).
- Podgursky, M., & Springer, M. (2007). Teacher Labor Markets in States with and without Right-to-Work Laws. Economica.
- Ravitch, D. (2015). The Death and Life of the Great American School System. Basic Books.