Johanna

Hello Kelly,

> I'm sorry there's no database of unschoolers---that's just not
> going to
> happen! <G>

that's a shame for us. It fits to the general thinking of
unschoolers. But for us in coutries where it is illegal it would help
a LOT if there where such a database. Do you think if we started some
kind of website where you can register anonymously as an unschooler,
people would?

See, we need every evidence! Nobody's gonna believe us. You wouldn't
BELIEVE what hast just happened here!

Vernor Muñoz, the Special Correspondent of the UN wrote a report for
the Right to obtain education. He wrote about how it was bad that in
Germany the circumstances are such, that people are threatend to be
deprived of their right of custody when they tried to homeschool or
other kinds of non-school education. He expressed that although he
himself is pro compulsory education, homeschooling was a valid form
of education.

He writes:
“According to reports received, it is possible that, in some Länder
<=states in Germany>, education is understood exclusively to mean
school attendance. Even though the Special Rapporteur is a strong
advocate of public, free and compulsory education, it should be noted
that education may not be reduced to mere school attendance and that
educational processes should be strengthened to ensure that they
always and primarily serve the best interests of the child. Distance
learning methods and home schooling represent valid options which
could be developed in certain circumstances, bearing in mind that
parents have the right to choose the appropriate type of education
for their children, as stipulated in article 13 of the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The promotion and
development of a system of public, government-funded education should
not entail the suppression of forms of education that do not require
attendance at a school. In this context, the Special Rapporteur
received complaints about threats to withdraw the parental rights of
parents who chose home-schooling methods for their children.”

In the translation to German though, they added: "Distance learning
methods and home schooling represent valid options which could be
developed in certain circumstances, WHICH HAVE TO BE EXCEPTIONAL,
bearing in mind that parent..."

It's incredible!! this has been done because the law here already
states that "in certain circumstances" you could homeschool. But they
just interpret that law as "those circumstances have to be very
exceptional". So now they don't want to change anything and do as if
Muñoz said the same thing they've been practising for decades.

Anyways, do you think unschoolers from the US would help us set up a
database, if we try to set up a campaign, writing to all lists and
asking people to help us? It would be nice to be able to tell: "In
the US there are alredy X unschoolers"...

Greetings and Hugs
Johanna




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carenkh

I would! And it wouldn't need to be anonymous, maybe just if the
family desired it - I think there would be more validity with names,
locations, etc.

Caren


--- In [email protected], Johanna <dialog@...> wrote:
>
Do you think if we started some
> kind of website where you can register anonymously as an unschooler,
> people would?

[email protected]

Johanna, I sent this to your other email address, and then saw this
one. Figured I'd try both! <G>

THis is an old report, but it could be helpful, espcially how they note
the extreme *growth* of homeshcooling each year in the US. It seems to
almost double! ANd that was ten years ago!

Good luck!

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/SAI/homeschool/homeschoolers.pdf

~Kelly

Kelly Lovejoy
Conference Coordinator
Live and Learn Unschooling Conference
http://www.LiveandLearnConference.org

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