January 28, 2008
House Bill 311: Lowers the Age of Compulsory Education and Broadens Testing Requirement
Authors:
Representatives Kyle T. Yamashita, Jerry L. Chang, Pono Chong, Jon Riki Karamatsu, Clift Tsuji, Ryan I. Yamane
Summary:
House Bill 311 has been carried over from the 2007 legislative session. This bill that would lower the age a child is required to attend school from 6 to 5, increasing government control over your homeschooled child.
House Bill 311 enables all school districts to require all children to attend school when they reach the age of 5 and requires all children to receive testing before entering the first grade in a public school.
In essence, H.B. 311 would require a homeschool parent to file a year earlier than they do now! It would also make kindergarten mandatory for all 5-year-olds.
Status:
| 8/27/2007 |  | Carried over into 2008 session. |
HSLDA's Position:
HSLDA is opposed to H.B. 311.
Action Requested:
No Action is requested at this time.
Background:
Some of the problems with lowering the compulsory attendance are listed below.
Lowering the compulsory attendance age from 6 to 5 would subject Hawaii home educators to the requirements of the homeschool laws one year earlier.
Many education experts have concluded that beginning a child’s formal education too early may actually result in burnout and poor scholastic performance later.
Lowering the compulsory attendance age erodes the authority of parents who are in the best position to determine when their child’s formal education should begin.
It would restrict parents’ freedom to decide if their children are ready for school. This bill would require homeschool parents to file for their children a year earlier that they do now and require mandatory testing for all children entering the first grade!
Another significant impact of expanding the compulsory attendance age would be an inevitable tax increase to pay for more classroom space and teachers to accommodate the additional students compelled to attend public schools.
For more information on compulsory attendance, please see our memorandum, “Early Education Shows no Benefit.”
Thank you for your part in fighting for freedom in Hawaii!
 Other Resources
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Bill Text (html)
Bill History
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