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42 J.L. & Educ. 173 (2013)
Homeschooling Laws (or Lack Thereof) in New Jersey - Are Children Slipping through the Cracks

handle is hein.journals/jle42 and id is 175 raw text is: Homeschooling Laws (or lack thereof) in New Jersey-Are Children Slipping through the Cracks? I. INTRODUCTION There is no doubt that homeschooling has many benefits, including providing one-on-one instruction, individualized pacing, and the chance for the student to earn college credits before college begins. However, not every homeschooled child has the luxury of learning in an environ- ment that fosters academics. In fact, some homeschooled students may not be getting an education at all. The homeschooling requirements in New Jersey, specifically, are among the most relaxed in the United States. New Jersey has no statute that specifically addresses homeschooling and there is only one statute that even hints at a requirement-stating that a child have an equiva- lent education.' But homeschooled students in New Jersey are not required to take standardized tests. As a result, the statutory language has no practical application to ensure that children are in fact receiving an adequate education. With the lack of any explicit statutory language addressing homeschooling, the absence of standardized testing of home- schoolers in New Jersey, and the non-uniform nature of learning envi- ronments that this creates, the conclusion is unmistakable-there has been a home-schooling free-fall in New Jersey. II. THE LAW New Jersey Statutes Annotated § 18A: 38-25, states as follows: Every parent, guardian or other person having custody and control of a child between the ages of 6 and 16 years shall cause such child regularly to attend the public schools of the district or a day school in which there is given instruction equivalent to that provided in the 1. N.J. Stat. Ann. §l8A: 38-25 (West 2012). 173