Support for German homeschooling movement
Stefanie Mohsennia
Hi everybody,
we could need some support and enlightenment here in Germany. Currently,
there is again a case of religious homeschoolers being harrassed by the
school authorities. Here is an account of the case:
www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/200501100.asp?PrinterFriendly=True
As Mike Fortune-Wood put it on the learning-unlimited mailing list:
"I think one of the problems in Germany is that the public have the idea
that the only reason one would home educate is one of religious
separatism. That parents with extreme religious views want to keep their
children away from modern society and teach them what many secular
people would think of as being odd ideas.
Its noticeable that all the groups that we have heard about are such
groups and even the newspaper polls that have been run work on that
assumption.
Because of this the public in Germany believe that home education is not
about the best interest of the child but rather about the parents
disseminating (again what many members of the public - probably all but
a few would see as being) a strange world view."
It would be great if you could write to the persons below to tell them
that homeschooling has different faces, that it is a completely accepted
educational alternative in your country and how much you love your
homeschooling lifestyle:
Ms. Ute Schaefer, Secretary for Education in Northrhine-Westfalia:
ute.schaefer@...
Mr. Manfred Mueller, Landrat Paderborn (county official):
landrat@...
Ute Schaefer used to be an English teacher, so no problem to write in
English. One homeschooling mother here in Germany called the local
authorities in January and got the answer: "Oh yes, I am familiar with
homeschooling. It is for circus children." Here is an interview Ms.
Schaefer gave on Jan. 17th, translated into English:
Interview with the Minister for Schools and Children, Ms. Ute Schaefer,
given by the NRW press entitled: Compulsory Schooling isn't an End in
Itself (Schulpflicht ist kein Selbstzweck, 17.1.05)
Summary: Seven Families who are members of an extreme-Baptist community
in Paderborn are refusing to send their 15 children to school (as we
have reported). No solution to this problem in Paderborn is in sight.
The county government Integration Official, Klaus Lefringhausen, wants
to conduct talks with the parents. NRW Minister
for Schools Ute Schäfer (SPD party) gives her first public interview
about the case here. This interview was conducted by Carsten Heil.
Heil: Ms. Schaefer, can you understand the point of view of the Baptist
families who are not sending their children to school?
Schaefer: The Compulsory Education law is a child's right to education
and to grow up within our community. It is a cornerstone of our society
in Germany. Therefore, it is the parent's duty to let children
participate. Thus I have no understanding for parents who behave in
this way.
Heil: What is to be done, now, to resolve this impasse in Paderborn?
Schaefer: The well-being of the children must be at the center of our
efforts. For that there are legal guidelines, in which all parties are
now involved. Klaus Lefringhausen, the county Integration Official, has
been called on to arbitrate. He is on the job now. I don't wish to
anticipate the outcome of these talks. But it is completely clear, that
the law of Compulsury Education will be enforced. It isn't an end unto
itself, rather we are thinking about the children. And that is what is
in our hearts.
Heil: The effected families have applied to found their own school.
Shouldn't the school authorities at least look their application over?
Schaefer: In our county, Nordrhein-Westfalen, we have faith-based
schools. They are open for all other children. We have an excellent
supply of those schools for parents who want to send their children to a
Christian-oriented school. I don't see any need for any further schools.
Thanks so much for your support!
Stefanie Mohsennia
www.unschooling.de
we could need some support and enlightenment here in Germany. Currently,
there is again a case of religious homeschoolers being harrassed by the
school authorities. Here is an account of the case:
www.hslda.org/hs/international/Germany/200501100.asp?PrinterFriendly=True
As Mike Fortune-Wood put it on the learning-unlimited mailing list:
"I think one of the problems in Germany is that the public have the idea
that the only reason one would home educate is one of religious
separatism. That parents with extreme religious views want to keep their
children away from modern society and teach them what many secular
people would think of as being odd ideas.
Its noticeable that all the groups that we have heard about are such
groups and even the newspaper polls that have been run work on that
assumption.
Because of this the public in Germany believe that home education is not
about the best interest of the child but rather about the parents
disseminating (again what many members of the public - probably all but
a few would see as being) a strange world view."
It would be great if you could write to the persons below to tell them
that homeschooling has different faces, that it is a completely accepted
educational alternative in your country and how much you love your
homeschooling lifestyle:
Ms. Ute Schaefer, Secretary for Education in Northrhine-Westfalia:
ute.schaefer@...
Mr. Manfred Mueller, Landrat Paderborn (county official):
landrat@...
Ute Schaefer used to be an English teacher, so no problem to write in
English. One homeschooling mother here in Germany called the local
authorities in January and got the answer: "Oh yes, I am familiar with
homeschooling. It is for circus children." Here is an interview Ms.
Schaefer gave on Jan. 17th, translated into English:
Interview with the Minister for Schools and Children, Ms. Ute Schaefer,
given by the NRW press entitled: Compulsory Schooling isn't an End in
Itself (Schulpflicht ist kein Selbstzweck, 17.1.05)
Summary: Seven Families who are members of an extreme-Baptist community
in Paderborn are refusing to send their 15 children to school (as we
have reported). No solution to this problem in Paderborn is in sight.
The county government Integration Official, Klaus Lefringhausen, wants
to conduct talks with the parents. NRW Minister
for Schools Ute Schäfer (SPD party) gives her first public interview
about the case here. This interview was conducted by Carsten Heil.
Heil: Ms. Schaefer, can you understand the point of view of the Baptist
families who are not sending their children to school?
Schaefer: The Compulsory Education law is a child's right to education
and to grow up within our community. It is a cornerstone of our society
in Germany. Therefore, it is the parent's duty to let children
participate. Thus I have no understanding for parents who behave in
this way.
Heil: What is to be done, now, to resolve this impasse in Paderborn?
Schaefer: The well-being of the children must be at the center of our
efforts. For that there are legal guidelines, in which all parties are
now involved. Klaus Lefringhausen, the county Integration Official, has
been called on to arbitrate. He is on the job now. I don't wish to
anticipate the outcome of these talks. But it is completely clear, that
the law of Compulsury Education will be enforced. It isn't an end unto
itself, rather we are thinking about the children. And that is what is
in our hearts.
Heil: The effected families have applied to found their own school.
Shouldn't the school authorities at least look their application over?
Schaefer: In our county, Nordrhein-Westfalen, we have faith-based
schools. They are open for all other children. We have an excellent
supply of those schools for parents who want to send their children to a
Christian-oriented school. I don't see any need for any further schools.
Thanks so much for your support!
Stefanie Mohsennia
www.unschooling.de
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/10/05 2:13:07 AM, mohsennia@...-wuppertal.de writes:
<< Because of this the public in Germany believe that home education is not
about the best interest of the child but rather about the parents
disseminating (again what many members of the public - probably all but
a few would see as being) a strange world view." >>
The U.S. has probably hundreds of thousands of homeschoolers who fit that
description, so it's a stereotype with a solid basis and many living examples.
That's unfortunate, but if homeschoolers deny it exists, it makes them all
look underhanded and dishonest. So when homeschoolers say "That's not true,"
or "Why would you think that?" it only helps the critics entrench deeper. I
think it's better to say "Though some do, others don't!"
But in a society used to more conformity (Japan, Germany) and less individual
"whatever" (Canada <g>), that honesty might be enough to make people say "If
ONE family wants to keep kids home to tell them dinosaurs are a Satanic plot
and that Jesus is coming before May so going to school would have been stupid,
then homeschooling will never be legal here."
-=-One homeschooling mother here in Germany called the local
authorities in January and got the answer: "Oh yes, I am familiar with
homeschooling. It is for circus children." -=-
HEY! So in Germany it's legal for circus children to homeschool?
Cool! I had heard it was illegal in Germany, period.
-=- Seven Families who are members of an extreme-Baptist community
in Paderborn . . .-=-
I grew up Baptist. I'm sorry there are extreme Baptists in Paderborn.
-=-The Compulsory Education law is a child's right to education
and to grow up within our community. It is a cornerstone of our society
in Germany. Therefore, it is the parent's duty to let children
participate. -=-
I realize it was translated, but this is one of the problems with
"compulsory" and "let" all in one place. If it's compulsory, parents don't "let" them
participate, they are bound by law to force them to participate.
Maybe instead of random foreigners writing to a government official in
Germany, a bright German writer should summarize other kinds of homeschooling,
listing other countries in which homeschooling has taken hold without disasters,
and work from inside that way. People tend to hate to hear from outsiders,
"Well WE do it this way."
Sandra
<< Because of this the public in Germany believe that home education is not
about the best interest of the child but rather about the parents
disseminating (again what many members of the public - probably all but
a few would see as being) a strange world view." >>
The U.S. has probably hundreds of thousands of homeschoolers who fit that
description, so it's a stereotype with a solid basis and many living examples.
That's unfortunate, but if homeschoolers deny it exists, it makes them all
look underhanded and dishonest. So when homeschoolers say "That's not true,"
or "Why would you think that?" it only helps the critics entrench deeper. I
think it's better to say "Though some do, others don't!"
But in a society used to more conformity (Japan, Germany) and less individual
"whatever" (Canada <g>), that honesty might be enough to make people say "If
ONE family wants to keep kids home to tell them dinosaurs are a Satanic plot
and that Jesus is coming before May so going to school would have been stupid,
then homeschooling will never be legal here."
-=-One homeschooling mother here in Germany called the local
authorities in January and got the answer: "Oh yes, I am familiar with
homeschooling. It is for circus children." -=-
HEY! So in Germany it's legal for circus children to homeschool?
Cool! I had heard it was illegal in Germany, period.
-=- Seven Families who are members of an extreme-Baptist community
in Paderborn . . .-=-
I grew up Baptist. I'm sorry there are extreme Baptists in Paderborn.
-=-The Compulsory Education law is a child's right to education
and to grow up within our community. It is a cornerstone of our society
in Germany. Therefore, it is the parent's duty to let children
participate. -=-
I realize it was translated, but this is one of the problems with
"compulsory" and "let" all in one place. If it's compulsory, parents don't "let" them
participate, they are bound by law to force them to participate.
Maybe instead of random foreigners writing to a government official in
Germany, a bright German writer should summarize other kinds of homeschooling,
listing other countries in which homeschooling has taken hold without disasters,
and work from inside that way. People tend to hate to hear from outsiders,
"Well WE do it this way."
Sandra
Stefanie Mohsennia
Hi Sandra,
the translation is correct. Ute Schaefer actually said "The Compulsory
Education law is a child's right to education and to grow up within our
community. It is the parent's duty to grant their children this right."
But what happens if the child himself decides that "no, thank you" he
prefers not to make use of his right to state education? Can and/or
should a right be transformed into compulsion?
You wrote:
Maybe instead of random foreigners writing to a government official in
Germany, a bright German writer should summarize other kinds of
homeschooling,
listing other countries in which homeschooling has taken hold without
disasters,
and work from inside that way.
That's exactly what I have just done, my book was published last
December: www.leben-ohne-schule.de/schulfrei.html. Hope that more
information about homeschooling will some day bring about a change of
compulsory schooling laws to a right to education. Unfortunately, we
Germans can be really conservative, pigheaded and reluctant to try
something new.
Many greetings from Germany,
Stefanie
www.unschooling.de
the translation is correct. Ute Schaefer actually said "The Compulsory
Education law is a child's right to education and to grow up within our
community. It is the parent's duty to grant their children this right."
But what happens if the child himself decides that "no, thank you" he
prefers not to make use of his right to state education? Can and/or
should a right be transformed into compulsion?
You wrote:
Maybe instead of random foreigners writing to a government official in
Germany, a bright German writer should summarize other kinds of
homeschooling,
listing other countries in which homeschooling has taken hold without
disasters,
and work from inside that way.
That's exactly what I have just done, my book was published last
December: www.leben-ohne-schule.de/schulfrei.html. Hope that more
information about homeschooling will some day bring about a change of
compulsory schooling laws to a right to education. Unfortunately, we
Germans can be really conservative, pigheaded and reluctant to try
something new.
Many greetings from Germany,
Stefanie
www.unschooling.de