Many public schools employ attendance officers whose job is to ensure that students attend school on a regular basis. State governments may withhold some funds for schools that have low attendance rates, making the work of an attendance officer essential to a school`s bottom line. Attendance officers meet with teachers to find out which students need corrective action due to low attendance. They meet with these students and their parents to discuss ways to improve attendance. In states like Michigan, an attendance officer has the authority of a deputy sheriff at the local school and can file a complaint if a student is constantly absent. Of course, students miss school without permission for a variety of reasons. But as absence becomes more chronic, most states refer to the student as “absenteeist” when they reach a certain point. In Connecticut, for example, an absentee is a student who has four unjustified absences in a month or 10 in a school year; In Illinois, when a student has unjustified absences for 10% of the 180 consecutive days, they jump. When a student is labeled as truancy, many states at least have the leeway to lay criminal charges against parents. According to the Urban Institute, 24 states plus the District of Columbia allow punitive measures in juvenile or family courts against absentee parents. Although each state has a law on compulsory school attendance, there are differences in age group requirements. Fifteen states have an age range of 6 to 16 years.
Another 12 states have a slightly higher age range of 7 to 16. Seven states have the youngest starting age at age 5, two states have an age requirement of 6 to 17, and six other states have an age requirement of 6 to 18. Two states have the highest age of departure, from 8 to 17 years, three states have a range of 7 to 17 years, and three other states have a requirement of 7 to 18 years. Since August 2013, 16 states and the Virgin Islands have set the age of compulsory education at 16; 11 States for 17 years; and 23 states and the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Puerto Rico at age 18. If the principal or school board refuses your request to allow your child to leave public school and enroll in another work or study program, you have the right to contact the commissioner of the Maine Department of Education. Each state has a mandatory minimum age at which a child must attend primary school, as well as the length of stay in school. Exceptions exist for special circumstances, but generally parents or guardians who do not comply with the Compulsory Education Act are subject to legal consequences. The January 2011 recommendations of the NCSL Task Force on Early School Leaving Prevention and Recovery refer to the compulsory school age. In the report, the working group recommends that states “conduct policy audits, eliminate counterproductive policies and encourage cooperation.” The report deals with the age of compulsory schooling as follows: Although statistics show that dropping out of school is usually a bad idea, the motivation to drop out of school can be overwhelming. However, if students want to do so, state laws are a barrier until they reach a certain age — 16, 17 or 18, depending on the state.
These efforts to keep children in school seem to have had an effect. Studies have shown that over the past 18 years, dropout rates in the United States have dropped by nearly two-thirds. In 2000, about 1.6 million young people aged 16-19 were not in school or had no school-leaving certificate. Today, there are about 669,000. For your teen, school may seem boring and unnecessary. The idea of ending it and making your own way in the world may seem tempting. Parents or guardians of a mentally or physically disabled child are generally exempt from compulsory education. Most states also waive law enforcement if a child under the age of 18 is employed full-time (at the legal age required by their state) or has received a high school-equivalent education from an alternative school or homeschooling program that complies with state laws and regulations. The courts have also provided special exceptions for a child who fears for his or her safety at school and for children whose religious beliefs are violated by subjects taught in the classroom. If you`re the parent of a high school student thinking about dropping out, it can be hard to talk them out. They may hate school and see dropping out of school as a ticket to freedom and an opportunity to earn a paycheck now rather than later.
In 1852, Massachusetts became the first state to pass legislation concerning compulsory education and, in particular, public education. At that time, parents did not have the opportunity to send their children to private schools. By 1918, all 50 states had passed mandatory attendance laws, although there was no standard minimum and maximum age. Modern changes to state laws have allowed parents to send their children to private schools and have included homeschooling as an option consistent with the Compulsory Education Act. On the other hand, many countries elapse several years between school-leaving age and the minimum legal age for admission to employment, thus in some cases preventing such a transition for several years. Working-age countries below school leaving age (mainly developing countries) risk giving children the opportunity to leave school early to earn money for their families. If the following 5 conditions are met, your child may be able to drop out of school before the age of 17: In Maine, your child must attend school between the ages of 7 and 17. Parents or guardians of a child under the age of 18 who does not regularly attend school will be charged with a misdemeanor. However, in states where the law states that children only attend school until the age of 16 or 17, a parent of an 18-year-old would not be punished. Most states have introduced a system of fines for first and second offenses, but some states may also impose short prison sentences on the parents of a child who is constantly out of school.
The offending child is also required to return to school and attend school regularly. Children aged 13 and 14 may be employed in non-industrial establishments, provided that they attend school full-time, if they have not yet completed the third year of secondary education and under other conditions designed to protect their safety, health and well-being. [9] It may be wise to sit down and talk to them about the likely impact of this decision, and also talk to school trustees and staff about how your child`s opinion could be changed by a better school experience.