"Homeschooling Illegal" Declares German School Official

HSLDA ^ | 1-07-05

[Born in a Rage]

  HOME SCHOOL LEGAL DEFENSE ASSOCIATION

 

HOME SCHOOLING / INTERNATIONAL
Germany

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January 7, 2005

"Homeschooling Illegal" Declares German School Official

Seven homeschool families in Northwest Germany are being forced to enroll their children in public school. The Paderborn County school board has levied fines against these families and ordered the children to attend school by Monday, January 10, or the police will forcibly take them to school. Any resistance by the parents will result in the removal of these thirteen elementary age children from their homes and into state custody!

Despite the lack of state recognition in Germany for homeschooling, these families pulled their children out of public school earlier this year to begin teaching them at home. Their primary reason, as Christians, was to protect their children from the humanistic and godless values being taught to their children in the public school.

While the school district responded by stating that homeschooling is illegal, the parents' maintained that their fundamental rights as parents would be violated if they were forced to return the children to public school. All of the families obtained excellent packaged curriculums from German correspondence schools, and demonstrated to school officials that their children were receiving a proper education.

Heinz Kohler, the county education director, dismissed the families' beliefs, stating, "you and your children are not living in isolation on some island but rather in an environment posing intra- and extracurricular situations where you'll have to accept that your world view will be curtailed." Mr. Kohler further explained that homeschooling could not be allowed as "children should not be encapsulated or kept apart from the outside world. In these cases, the parents' rights to personally educate their children would prevent the children from growing up to be responsible individuals within society…"

German homeschoolers have seen much persecution in recent months, and this action by Paderborn County affirms that the problem has not been solved. The United States has been blessed for many years with the freedom to homeschool. Germany does not have this freedom. If American homeschoolers do not try to help "the least of these," then who will aid them?

Requested Action
1. In order to help these seven homeschool families in Germany, we urge you to call or write to the German Embassy immediately and give them the following message:

"The seven homeschool families in Paderborn County should not be forced to return their children to public school. A parent's right to direct the education of his children is a fundamental right that should be protected. We request that you urge Heinz Kohler and the county school board to drop the pending fines against the families."

We encourage you to rephrase this message in your own words and include a few paragraphs in your letter describing the benefits of homeschooling to your family. It would be best not to include the word "homeschool" in the subject of your e-mail, as that will make it too easy for the embassy to filter it out. The whole family should participate in this project of writing letters to the German Embassy. This is a great educational opportunity for your children to learn the importance of the freedoms we have in the United States and how easily these freedoms can be taken away.

Your decision to contact the embassy may determine the success or failure of the German homeschool movement.

Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000

The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm

You may also contact the local German officials involved in the case:

Landrat Paderborn: Mr. Manfred Mueller [landrat@kreis-paderborn.de] (county official)

President Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mr. Peer Steinbrueck – Local media
[landespresseamt@stk.nrw.de] - CC [poststelle@stk.nrw.de]

2. Pray for endurance and protection for these courageous families.

Your e-mails and calls work! A few years ago, the Harder family in Germany was facing two years imprisonment for homeschooling. Your calls and emails caused the German authorities to dismiss the Harder case within three weeks! Protests from overseas can change the views of the German government.

Thank you for standing together for freedom with your fellow homeschooling families around the world.

 

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[floridarolf]

> There are private schools available to which these people could send thier children (alot of them are run by the Church).

These people want to teach their children the creation instead of the evolution and no sexual education. While sexual education might be debatable, there is no chance that any school in Germany - be it a church run or not - is allowed to teach the pupils the creation.

[wgeorge2001]

"Despite the lack of state recognition in Germany for homeschooling, these families pulled their children out of public school earlier this year to begin teaching them at home. Their primary reason, as Christians, was to protect their children from the humanistic and godless values being taught to their children in the public school."

A display of what the left wing is bringing to America; the state owns your child if they have their way. It amazes me what people put up with, the public school system should be abolished once for all. As for Germany, what's new? Heil hitler is their way, near as I can tell.

[longjack]

German ping.

longjack

[An.American.Expatriate]

I am sorry, but here you are wrong - religion is a required course in german schools and creation is taught in that context (admittedly, this is NOT what you would consider being taught - it is included for accuracy).

Bear in mind - I fully agree that this is wrong of the German's and that the parents should have the right to teach thier children - unfortunately the socialist mindset rules the day over here and no amount of protests (from within or without) will change this.

Once the EU Constitution is rammed down the throats of the people, it will be worse.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Hello Longjack.

[floridarolf]

Yes, you are right. Of course the creation is taught in religious courses but not as an explanation how life appeared or as a "different theorie".

I think parents have the right to educate their children to a certain degree but don't own their children. Parents alone cannot give their child what the society can as a whole. A child has to hear different opinions than what it hears at home to built a real own opinion and personality. Otherwise I can't imagine how one shall be able to emancipate from home.

[floridarolf]

P.S. I don't know what this has to do with socialism. I'm not a socialist.

[longjack]

Ade floridarolf:

Thanks for posting the links.

I remember reading either this article or another similar article about homeschooling in Germany about a month ago.

From what I remember, school officials have been turning a blind eye to it, in most cases, but in one case, the children were not exposed to any type of curriculum, and the families were high profile about it; i.e., something was bound to happen. I thought that was in Baden-Wurttemberg, though

I'm sure you know, but other people may not, that German schools have been under pressure to transform because of poor PISA study reports compared to other countries.

Basically, they are going to change from half-day to full day schools, requiring a lot of investment in infrasrtructure, kitchens, for example.

German's are also looking into teacher accountability, much like our NCLB, which is a drastic change from what has been the norm. Teachers are lifelong burocrats in Germany, or have been so far.

My kids were in German schools for a while, and have also been homeschooled and in public schools. I'm able to relocate freely, however, and can move to a location best for them if I must.

There's something to be said for all of those institutions, but how effective they are depends on the leadership of the particular institution at the local level, meaning school administration and parents, AFAIC.

Also, as a reminder to others: "Spiegel-Online" is not a neutral source. The list dramatically left, and in this case, leave me with little confidence that they are accurately representing the issues and methods of the parents.

OTOH: I think German greens are a pretty defiant, yuppy, in your face bunch, and I wouldn't trust them within 3000 miles of my own kids' education.

Thus, I am watching the tposts on this thread with particular interest.

longjack

[longjack]

Hello Longjack

Hello An.American.Expatriate :>)

longjack

[floridarolf]

True, Spiegel Online is generally left. Their founder Augstein wanted his magazine to be neutral but left when in doubt. I think this is the case with most articles. Many articles are good researched. They also have right-tendding articles but the majority is left.

The articles about this sect are only facts and not left.

[freepatriot32]

Heinz Kohler, the county education director, dismissed the families' beliefs, stating, "you and your children are not living in isolation on some island but rather in an environment posing intra- and extracurricular situations where you'll have to accept that your world view will be curtailed."

sieg heil you Fascist S.O.B.Is it any wonder germany did nothing to help get the islamofascists out of iraq?It looks like the two goverments are are being run by kindred spirits

[freepatriot32]

one for your ping list?

[dog breath]

I don't think that too many people with sturdy German blood will take any offense or disagree with you that they are a bit hard headed. I think there is something in the German national character that tends toward stubbornness and tradition. It will just take them a while to wrap their heads around the concept.

[pau1f0rd]

just as a European sidepoint - parents in the UK are allowed to remove their child from the school system at any time. My sister removed her son at age 11. He hasn't received any education at all (no homeschooling either) and he's now coming up for 16. The other extreme, I suppose!

[Nightshift]

pinged again

[lbmorris11]

Are you saying you don't agree with them so we should reeducate their children? Rights are for people we disagree with. If they don't have rights you don't either. One day they burn weirdos in Waco if they meet no resistance wait for the thugs to show up at your mainstream church. Yes I think Koresh and his followers were a cult. Yes I would debate them till I was blue in the face but use government sponsored violence? Never.

[MomwithHope]

While I deplore what the Germans have done here, how can some advocate sending emails telling them what to do when we were irate over the Britains telling us to vote for Kerry in their letters?

[An.American.Expatriate]

To your 46 & 47.

I have not accused you of being a socialist (I don't even know you or your opinions, so that would be very presumptious on my part!!)

I can not agree with your point regarding the necessity of having children schooled by the government. I agree there are advantages to public schooling, I just do not agree that this must be forced upon the people if it violates thier beliefs.

This concept of education IS socialist at it's root and the force necessary to accomplish it is also a socialist concept - accepting the practice as normal does not make one a socialist - just as accepting that the teachings of the bible are good does not make one a Christian.

[12B]

Of course home-schooling is allowed in Germany. Tens of thousands of young Muslim girls are "home-schooled" and the Gov't doesn't mind a bit.

[floridarolf]

> Rights are for people we disagree with

Not only do I disagree them, they don't have that right either. Sending the police thugs shouldn't be the first step but the government has to enforce the law.