Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Mandatory Kindergarten

The Wisconsin legislature is considering AB 119 and SB 89. State law mandates school attendance from age 6 to 18. This bill, while not changing mandatory attendance age, would require attendance at a kindergarten program prior to enrolling in 1st grade. This would be true for both public schools and charter schools. If this bill passes, the same attendance/truancy laws would apply to 5-yr-olds (who are not even required by law to be in school) as apply to older students. I just find it hard to imagine that parents could be jailed for keeping a sleepy and/or overwrought 5-yr-old home from school. But then, we don't trust parents to know when a 10-yr-old should be kept home from school.

Still, ... 5-yr-olds being prosecuted for truancy???

More information available at WPA's website as well as how to find your legislators.

3 comments:

  1. nathan fischer5/17/2009 7:40 PM

    I'm making my way through Harry Potter again (I've only read all the books once), and I'm on the 5th book... ick. Umbridge. It is insane just how much in that book (and the others, for that matter) is reminding of what is going on right now.

    I'm sure that these people attempting to pass the truancy laws would read Harry Potter and recognize the horrible evilness of Umbridge and the ministry. I mean, they're so *obviously* wicked. And yet... I remain ever amazed at how blind we are to ourselves.

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