This study scrutinizes the current compulsory education law in Pennsylvania. All components of the law, including historical factors, social aspects, and attempts to amend the statute are examined. Obstacles that have prevented Pennsylvania from joining the 48 states that require enrollment before the age of eight are reviewed. The identity and motivations of lobbyists who argue against amending the law and factors leading to their success are identified. Statistics regarding unenrolled children in Pennsylvania between the ages of six and eight are compared to social issues affecting school enrollment in 2014. The study also reviews social issues from 1991, when the number of unenrolled six- and seven-year-olds was estimated to number 26,000. Finally an amendment to the Pennsylvania School Code compulsory enrollment age is presented.
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