[tpaine]

While it may be within the state's interest that the population be educated and it may be that the state can properly require a degree of education, by what right or authority does it presume to engage in the enterprise of schooling ?

Ordinary child abuse law can be logically extended to require parents to educate children.
Standards can be set, and be met/exceeded by individual means such as home schooling - or anything beyond.

And people, - communities have a perfect right to band together to provide public schools. -- But todays totally out of control tax supported bureaucratic nightmare of a 'system' must be corrected.

[Dukie]

You have identified a good point. There is a difference between education, which is a public good, and schooling, which as a public enterprise has failed dismally because of its unlimited apetite and ability to appropriate funds.