Proposed legislation would lower mandatory school age from 8 to 6 in Washington

A brand new invoice goals to alter the age at which some Washington children go to highschool. As present legislation stands, college isn’t required for college kids till the age of eight. The proposed laws, SB 5020 would decrease the age to 6.

Senate Training Chair Lisa Wellman sponsored the invoice.

“I can’t stress sufficient how essential it’s to start studying as early as attainable,” stated Sen. Wellman at a current committee listening to.

In abstract, SB 5020:

• Lowers the minimal age for obligatory college attendance from eight to 6 years outdated.
• Amends truancy provisions to align with this variation.
• Requires mother and father who intend to have their youngsters obtain home-based instruction to file an annual declaration of intent and maintain sure information starting when a toddler is six as a substitute of eight years outdated.

The proposed laws is already being met with resistance.

“I feel if mother and father need a little bit extra time with their youngster, earlier than they go off to highschool, I feel they’ve that proper,” says Seattle father or mother and grandparent, Peter.

Julie Barrett with the group Conservative Girls of Washington voiced her opposition throughout a committee listening to.

“I feel mother and father are simply feeling like, that is one other manner that the state within the space of schooling is telling mother and father that they know higher than we do,” says Barrett. “I stated this in my testimony, that it virtually feels just like the legislators are attempting to put on us out and break us down so that we’ll get uninterested in preventing it.”

A number of payments much like SB 5020 have been proposed and rejected since 2011.

Sen. Wellman factors out that Washington is the newest state within the nation with regards to starting college age necessities. Most states require education to start at age eight.

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