NC Bill Would Require Earlier Homeschooling

A bill introduced in the N.C. House last week would lower the compulsory attendance age from seven to six years old.

Although the bill, H.161, only makes two changes, exchanging the word "six" for "seven" in two places, it directly impacts homeschoolers as part of the nonpublic education law, requiring them to administer standardized tests and keep formal records on children a year younger than before.

The compulsory education law, G.S. 115C-378, currently stipulates that "Every parent, guardian or other person in this State having charge or control of a child between the ages of seven and 16 years shall cause such child to attend school ..." That requirement may be satisfied by enrolling in a public school or in a form of nonpublic education, whether a conventional private school or a home school, as defined by Article 39, Chapter 115C.

The bill is currently assigned to the House Education Committee and will go from there to Appropriations.