Area mothers discuss homeschool law
May 4, 2012
Photo by Colin Deppen -
Children with the Elk County Homeschoolers group participate in a monthly meeting of homeschooling families. They are shown here identifying countries on an unmarked map of South America.
Mothers with The Elk County Homeschoolers said that while homeschooling has traditionally drawn criticism for a perceived lack of oversight and regulation, Pennsylvania's Home Education Law establishes strict requirements that homeschoolers must follow.
The mothers explained that while there is a great deal of freedom afforded homeschoolers in teaching and enriching their children, the guidelines for doing so as spelled out in Pennsylvania's Home Education Law, Act 169 of 1988, are stringent.
According to the law, a child receiving a "home education" must receive a minimum of 180 days of instruction, or 900 hours for each year at the elementary level, or 990 hours per year at the secondary level.
