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While most other states
have seen fit to impose a long list of requirements on homeschool parents, Idaho
homeschool laws take a
hands-off approach, leaving just about everything in the hands of the
parents. Idaho consistently recognizes the rights of
parents to educate their own children. The state grants more
liberties to homeschool parents than perhaps any other state
in the nation. While
Idaho public schools are bound by a long list of legal
requirements, which include qualifications for teachers,
subjects taught and the required number of days of
instruction per school year, these requirements do not apply
to homeschool students. In fact the only legal requirement
for homeschoolers is the statute requiring all kids from
ages 7 to 15 to attend some form of school.
What is most striking about
Idaho homeschool laws is the list of items not required:
- Homeschool parents to
not have to contact the school district with a letter of
intent.
- Parents are not
required to have any teaching qualifications.
- If the parents see
fit, they can even hand off their teaching duties to
anyone they choose.
- No standardized
testing is required.
- Under statute 78-401,
the burden is on the state
- By law, if the School
Superintendent requests information from homeschool
parents, the homeschoolers are not required to reply to
the superintended.
- Parents are not
required to submit any reports or keep any homeschooling
records.
Perhaps other states can learn from Idaho's great
success in education and ammend their laws to give more
freedoms to their homeschoolers. |