Compulsory Education - Essay Example

8 September, Compulsory Education What function does compulsory education serve in the United States?Compulsory education, as the name indicates, is the term used for the government’s obligation upon people to educate their children in one of the several types of schools including private schools, public schools and even home schools. “Today, every state and territory requires children to enroll in public or private education or to be home-schooled. More than half—32 states—require students to begin their education by age 6” (NCSL).

Compulsory education has played a very important role in US. According to the results of a report prepared in the year 2010, the act of increasing the age for compulsory education by the 6 US states including Indiana, Nevada, South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska and New Hampshire in the 6 years from 2002 to 2008 resulted in a manifold increase in the graduation rates of students in 2 of the 6 states, namely South Dakota and Illinois, while only 1 state i.e. Nevada experienced a slight decline in the graduation rates (NCSL).

The rest of the three states generally sustained the same graduation rates as they were before the year 2002. Leadership comes with power. Power comes with resources. Resources come with technology, technology comes with research and research makes use of existing knowledge. Compulsory education has spread this knowledge, and has thus, made America able to lead the world. Besides, the concept of home schooling is not very common in other countries of the world, but since the government obliges all parents to get their children educated in all cases, people in US not willing to send their children out of the home for any kind of reason have found the solution of their problem in home schooling.

“A homeschooling movement is sweeping the nation – with 1.5 million children now learning at home, an increase of 75 percent since 1999” (Schilling). What are the advantages and disadvantages of compulsory education?Advantages1. The compulsory education has not only boosted the literacy rate in many states of US i.e. about 97 per cent in 2005 (Data360), but it has also resulted into an increase in the quality of all types of schools.2. Compulsory education has promoted home schooling in America.3. Compulsory education is one of the primary reasons why America today is the leading country of the whole world.4. Compulsory education has been found to increase the graduation rate in many states of US while the number of states where they have declined is minimal.

Disadvantages1. Although a lot of research has recently gone into exploring ways to make home schooling come at par with the other types of schoolings, yet the difference is too much to completely eliminate, and hence, all children under the compulsory education have not been able to receive the same quality of education.2. On the other hand, some parents don’t like the idea of sending their children to public or private schools because of their fear of physical and verbal abuse, violence, and racism that is quite common in these schools. 3. Opponents of the compulsory school education are of the view that forcing students into schools may make them disruptive which can destroy the peace and discipline of the class. 4. Compulsory education calls for a need to invest more money into education by the government because of increased load on schools.

Works CitedData360. “Literacy Rate by Country.” 2005. Web. 8 Aug. 2011. .National Conference for State Legislatures. “Compulsory Education.” 2011. Web. 8 Aug. 2011. .Schilling, Chelsea. “Homeschooling goes boom in America 74 percent increase in number of families teaching own children.” 2011. Web. 8 September 2011. .