Most children in the U.S. do not have to go to school if their parents are willing to help them avoid school: the parents need only tell the school district that they are homeschooling their child from now on. (The parents then of course become responsible for overseeing the child's education.)
The school district will probably not like it, but unless the parents are under court supervision for some reason (e.g., the parents were convicted of a crime) the school district probably cannot force the parents to send the child to school, especially if the parents are willing to do research on the internet or appear in court once or twice.
But if the child's parents want the child to go to school, then yeah, the child has to go.
The public school system is probably a waste of time for a bright child who can learn on his or her own unless the child lives near an exceptionally good public school. More bright children who have proven that they can learn things on their own should be homeschooled.
> The public school system is probably a waste of time for a bright child who can learn on his or her own unless the child lives near an exceptionally good public school. More bright children who have proven that they can learn things on their own should be homeschooled.
Aren't there often socialization problems associated with home schooling? I don't know a lot about the topic, so I could be dead wrong. But overall, I would be more comfortable sending bright kids to a solid school with a good gifted and talented program where they can spend time with other kids their own age than home schooling them myself or having them skip a bunch of grades.
I have not reviewed the evidence myself, but the homeschooling web sites I have read claim that the methodological evidence shows that homeschooled kids turn out to have closer friendships and better social skills than enrolled kids.
I knew a kid from Vo-Tech who was homeschooled up to then. He was noticeably more civil & polite than the kids from public highschools his age, and seemed more mature in his poise. If anything the socialization you receive in public schools is a damaging exposure, I think.
It is completely optional. But you still have to "go there", to the building.