Homeschooling in Germany

As I finally headed to bed last night at 11:30, late because without my husband here there seems to be no reason to retire and two, I am fascinated by the Olympics, I flicked the tv on in my room so that I could maneuver around in the dark. What was on caught my eye – Homeschooling in Germany. The CBN News, of Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, was on. Now I don’t normally watch this show, but the subject peaked my interest because the topic was of persecution of homeschoolers. To confirm this story today, I googled “Homeschooling in Germany” and the HSLDA came up with a fact page about homeschooling in Germany and tags to several related articles. This site confirmed what I had heard. It is illegal to homeschool in Germany. “There are about 400 home school families. Almost all are operating underground or are in court.” (HSLDA). Children have been taken away from parents. Families have fled the country. Fines for homeschooling have crippled families financially. And this wasn’t even the troubling part. The story, which can be seen on the August 11th edition of CBN news and begins at the 17:45 mark of the broadcast, quotes the governments official response to their reason for opposing homeschooling as, “ The government has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or are motivated by different world views and interested in integrating minorities into society as a whole.”

Even more interesting is that this “illegal” status does not just apply to Germans, but also to non-Germans who reside in the country. However, German diplomatic families that are abroad are encouraged to homeschool their children using a State sponsored curriculum. One of the interviewees in the piece stated that he thought that the Germans were not afraid of homeschooling itself but of the type of citizens that homeschooling produces. I take this to mean individuals who are free thinking, creative, and spiritual. The type of people that may have stood up and defied the Nazi’s so many years ago.

Interesting, Pat Robinson concluded after the story by reminding us of the origins of public education in Germany. He cited that public education was founded by Martin Luther as a way to teach people to read the Bible. Now that very same institution was trying to ban people that are trying to do just that.

Thankful for Homeschooling Freedom

As today is our Sabbath, I am reminded to be thankful. It is easy to forget those that fought for our freedoms. No, I am not talking about George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and others (although they certainly deserve our respect). I am talking about the families that fought for their right to homeschool. I am talking about the families that used to have to draw their curtains and not go out during the day. Those that were brave enough to come forward and let others know that homeschooling could work for their family. To these people, I am grateful. For those of you that are still battling to keep this right available to us: both the families themselves and the attorneys that take their cases. To these people, I say thank you. These pioneers no matter what they year, blazed a trail for a better life for my family.

I have already shared with my children the importance of their right to educate their children in the way that they see fit. They thought it was a guaranteed Constitutional right but realized that it may be secured only as it relates to the first amendment, not as a specific right to homeschool. At first my daughter thought that she would lobby for a Constitutional amendment, but we then discussed the problems associated with defining homeschooling. In defining homeschooling, we may in fact define ourselves into rules and regulations that may not be in our best interest.

So thank you to all of you that have come in the past and all of you that will come in the future. My family is better because of your sacrifices.