America’s founders did debate a bit as to whether or not to force children to attend schools, and they decided to leave such decisions to individual families and local and state governments. The words “education” and “school” do not appear in any of our founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights. Some of our most famous inventors, writers, and politicians were self-taught, learning through mentoring or apprenticeships, conversation, and reading. In 1850, Massachusetts became the first state to institute a compulsory schooling law.
- What is home schooling?
- Why do I have to go to school?
- What do I do if my pet dies?
- Why should I walk my dog every day?
- Is it okay to bring my pet snake to school for show and tell?
- Why do I have to wash my hands after handling my pet turtle?
- Can my turtle take off its shell?
- Why does my guinea pig have buck teeth?
- Why do mice cry red tears?
- Do our intestines contain germs?
- My pet iguana was tiny and now it’s more than 3 feet (0.91 meters) long! What happened?
- How does a cat’s tail help keep the animal balanced?
- Why does my cat arch its back?
- Why does my cat purr?
- Can a pet help me when I am having a bad day?
- Why don’t dogs get hoarse when they bark a lot?
- Why does my dog sometimes howl?
- Why do dogs bark?
- Why does my dog wag its tail when it’s happy to see me?
- What kinds of household pets are common around the world?
