FTCE Professional Education Practice Exam

What law required children under 14 to attend school for at least 6 months?

1. The Fair Labor Standards Act

2. The Compulsory Education Act

3. The Child Labor Law

4. The Education Reform Act

The correct answer is: The Child Labor Law

The Child Labor Law is recognized as the correct answer because it was designed to regulate the employment of minors and ensure that children are not exploited in the workforce. A significant part of these regulations included provisions aimed at mandating education, thus requiring children under a certain age—specifically under 14 years—to attend school for a minimum duration. This law reflects the societal shift during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, where the importance of education became more widely acknowledged and prioritized in legislation, aiming to reduce child labor and promote schooling for youth. The other options did not specifically mandate school attendance in the same way. The Fair Labor Standards Act primarily focuses on minimum wage and overtime pay for workers rather than educational requirements. The Compulsory Education Act is a more general term that might refer to various laws across different states that enforce school attendance but lacks the specific age and duration outlined in the Child Labor Law. The Education Reform Act, while addressing improvements and standards in education, does not particularly emphasize mandatory school attendance for children under 14.