The first compulsory attendance law in the US was not passed until 1852. This Massachusetts law only required that children 8-14 attend 12 weeks of school each year. The development of the public school system in America was fostered by factors such as tax support, child labor laws, and the needs of 18th century society.
A speaker at the 1995 American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting likened sending a child to public school like sending them out in a covered wagon. The covered wagon was a fine way to get where you were going in the 18th century, but a child would be ill-prepared to get anywhere in the 21st century with this vehicle. Similarly, a school system designed during the 18th century may not provide the best vehicle for educating children who will be working in a world revolutionized by telecommunications.