AB 2203 – 5-Year-Old Compulsory Education October 8, 2012

JOINT LEGISLATIVE ALERT UPDATE – October 8, 2012
From: Roy Hanson–Family Protection Ministries and Mike Smith–HSLDA

Bill: AB 2203 (as amended 4/24/12) – 5-Year-Old Compulsory Education

DEFEATED – A Tremendous Victory for Children and their Parents!!

We Strongly Opposed.

Thanks for your important prayers and phone calls!

Status: AB 2203 died in the Assembly.

Summary of Concern:

AB 2203 would have been detrimental to the right of parents to protect their children by coercively lowering the compulsory education age from 6 to 5 years of age, in effect making kindergarten mandatory. This bill is similar to, but different from AB 1772.

The vast majority of research demonstrates that while some children who enter school at the age of 5 years or younger, under certain circumstances, may experience short-term gains, these disappear after two to four years. Conversely, many children, especially boys, would have experienced long-lasting adverse effects from being forced into a formal education program at age five or younger. For documentation of this important point, see the background paper on summary of research at http://childandfamilyprotection.org/eceissuesbgca.html

AB 2203 also would have taken another incremental step toward forcing a mandatory state-licensed preschool program for all 3 and 4-year-olds.

There were serious problems with AB 2203 that are outlined in our previous Action Alert, which you can read on our website here.

We appreciate all who helped with your vital phone calls and prayers, and with teamwork support of our (FPM’s) work at the Capitol in Sacramento.

FPM’s Nathan Pierce testified in Committee against AB 2203 on your behalf.

No further action is required on AB 2203.

Thanks again for your important prayers, phone calls, and support of our work!