|
| « |
|
LEGAL/LEGISLATIVE UPDATES
|
|
» |
|
ACROSS THE STATES
|
D.C. "tops in truancies"
Homeschoolers in the District of Columbia had reason to be concerned when the Washington Times reported that D.C. schools are "tops in truancies." In a special report dated April 18, 2004, the newspaper stated that one high school had a 56.3 percent truancy rate, meaning that 256 of its 455 students had at least 15 consecutive unexcused absences in the 2001–02 school year.
The crisis in D.C.'s public schools may spell trouble for homeschoolers. In Home School Legal Defense Association's experience, when public schools "crack down" on truancy, they find it easier to harass families who teach their children at home than to deal with the truly lawless activities of children who refuse to attend school at all. Juvenile judges who simply issue warning after warning to real truants have been known to threaten law-abiding parents with jail if they continue homeschooling. Thus, D.C.'s truancy problem is something HSLDA will be watching very closely.
— by Scott W. Somerville
Printer Friendly Version
