William Ford: “the simplest way to describe this amendment is that it is an unnecessary solution to a nonexisting problem. But there is…”

“the simplest way to describe this amendment is that it is an unnecessary solution to a nonexisting problem. But there is a perception that has been generated in one way or another that there is language in the legislation that upsets people. This amendment strikes the language that people are upset about from the legislation. And although that language had nothing at all to do with home schooling, we go the extra mile and provide a new section 9508 entitled ``Applicability to Home Schools,'' saying, ``Nothing in this Act shall be construed to affect home schools.'' As I said at the beginning of the debate on the bill, we did not believe that the Miller amendment was getting us into the area that we have always, during the history of legislation, respected, of undue Federal intervention in the prerogatives of State and local school administrations. The question of whether or not home schooling is allowed is not a Federal question. It is a State question. And it revolves around the attitudes in the various States about compulsory school attendance.”