Required courses of instruction; graduation requirements

72-3217. Required courses of instruction; graduation requirements. All accredited schools, public, private or parochial, shall provide and give a complete course of instruction to all pupils, in civil government, and United States history, and in patriotism and the duties of a citizen, suitable to the elementary grades; in addition thereto, all accredited high schools, public, private or parochial, shall give a course of instruction concerning the government and institutions of the United States, and particularly of the constitution of the United States; and no student who has not taken and satisfactorily passed such course shall be certified as having completed the course requirements necessary for graduation from high school. History: L. 1919, ch. 257, § 2; R.S. 1923, 72-1103; L. 1925, ch. 224, § 1; L. 1968, ch. 20, § 2; L. 1984, ch. 261, § 5; July 1. Source or Prior Law: 72-1103. Law Review and Bar Journal References: "Home Education v. Compulsory Attendance Laws: Whose Kids Are They Anyway?" David Allen Peterson, 24 W.L.J. 274, 293 (1985). CASE ANNOTATIONS 1. Applied in construing truancy statute (K.S.A. 72-4801); "home school" held not equivalent of "private or parochial" school. State v. Lowry, 191 Kan. 701, 703, 704, 383 P.2d 962. 2. Nonpublic schools need neither accreditation nor certified teachers. In re Sawyer, 234 Kan. 436, 440, 672 P.2d 1093 (1983). Previous | Next LEGISLATIVE COORDINATING COUNCIL General Policies 2026 Archived LCC Documents Archived LCC Meetings REVISOR OF STATUTES Archived Session Documents Archived School Finance Documents USEFUL LINKS Session Laws Kansas Administrative Regulations OTHER LEGISLATIVE SITES Kansas Legislature Administrative Services Division of Post Audit Research Department Contact Us PDF Help www.ksrevisor.gov 2026