Home Education in Spain: One Family's Travails
rpaul
Hello, all!
We asked permission from The Learning Edge to send this forward to other
homeschoolers on the internet. We were granted the permission.
Please pass this along to other homeschoolers. At the end of this article
is information on where homeschoolers can write to help them. Thank you.
========================================================.
HOME EDUCATION IN SPAIN: ONE FAMILY'S TRAVAILS
by Dr. Pat Montgomery
The Leraning Edge, Vol. 17, No. 1, Oct/Nov 1999
Clonlara School
1289 Jewett St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
This story is a factual account of a family living in Almeria, Spain:
Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez, Dolores (Lola) Ruiz Cruz, their seven year old
son, Gabriel Garcia Ruiz, and his two siblings, not yet of school age.
They have been enrolled in Clonlara School for the past two years.
Lola explained to us her reasons for choosing to home educate: "We think
that these are the most important years in the life of a human being, from
birth until sixteen. We want to give them all our support and see the
family growing together, learning together."
The parents had attended a gathering in Madrid where they became acquainted
with John Holt's work. Here was a kindred spirit whose writings resonated
in their hearts and minds. They had found the course that they would take
- parents as teachers, learners together.
Home education is neither legal nor illegal in Spain; local school
authorities decide each case. In the case of this family, the response of
authorities was to file suit aganst them in court. The paretns had tried
to telephone both the Inspector of Schools and the local authorities, but
their calls were never returned.
"The Delegate hasn't returned calls; the Inspector hasn't returned calls.
We want them to know our position," states a quote from Lola in La Voz de
Almeria, September 18, 1999.
For an entire week this September, the newspaper, La Voz de Almeria,
published a series of articles about the family's home schooling. The
situation was thoroughly examined from every possible angle-the family's
reasons for their choice, the court proceedings, the localauthorities'
response, and the actions of the State Inspector.
The local school principal reported that she "did her dut by informing the
State School Inspector" as soon as she learned of the family's home
educating.
The headlines and subtitles pretty much tell the tale:
"GABRIEL LIVES 6000 KILOMETERS FROM THE SCHOOL."
"The Ministry of Education admits that this is an atypical situation but
defends compulsory education."
One photo of Gabriel playing in his yard was captioned, "The garden and the
open area that surround the hous, together with the plaza and the park of
the town, are the scenarios for the child's games."
"The tribunal disagrees about the higher riight of parents regarding the
schooling of their children."
"'Our Child is a Happy Child. Gabriel Eats when he wants to. Neither
before nor after. Textbooks bore him,' says his mother."
"No child should be deprived of the companionship of other children,"
opines the Delegate of Education."
There was, also, a grave misunderstanding about the use of the Internet.
Lola maintains regular communication with her Clonlara-assigned contact
teacher via email over the Internet. In early articles, the newspaper
reporter's observations were misconstrued by school officials who got the
impression that Gabriel was being schooled over the Internet. This caused
a ruckus, naturally.
"Education authorities are looking for legal ways to stop a young boy of
eigght years old from studying only over the Internet," blares one
headline. The article under it states that Gabriel spends 10 hours each
day laboring over the keyboard. Lola is then called upon to make the
correction that it is she herself who uses the Internet (but not for 10
hours a day). Gabriel does not even know the keyboard yet and he shows
absolutely no interest in using it. A second headline shouts: "What they
have said about this child spending ten hours connected on the Internet is
totally false."
De`ja vu all over again?
The rights of parents to determine the educational choice for their
children, the underlying distrust of parents to determine the educational
choice for their children, the underlying distrust of parents by school
authorities to choose wisely, and the threat that home education makes to
conventional schooling are all part of the mix. The scene has been played
out in homes and towns and cities all over the United States in the last 25
or so years; it has run its course through school districts and courtrooms
as well.
Now, it has reached fever pitch in Spain. Oh, there have been home
schoolers in that country for years, but they operated "underground." This
family has been forced into the public spotlight, a position that curbs
their freedom to educate in peace, without undue interference.
"We never thought that is would cause so much dust to blow up," states Lola
in La Voz. Hear! Hear!
Perhaps now that the issue is public, the local and state school
authorities and the edictor of La Voz de Almeria may benefit by hearing the
true stories of success from home educators in America. You can share the
good news, as you know it, with them. You can help allleviate the distrust
and the fear of the authoriiteis. You can lend support to the Ruiz Cruz
family.
Write to the Editor: Elena Sevillano Garcia, editora, La Voz de Almeria,
Avd. De Montserrat, 50-04446, Almeria, Espana (Spain).
Send all letters to the family and/or to the Almeria Elementary School
Principal and/or to the Defenor Al Pueblo Andaluz in care of the family's
lawyer: Senor Juan Manuel Salmeron, ALMER, C/Mendez Munoz 1-1o-13, 04001
ALMERIA, SPAIN (fax #011 34 950230712.).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------
(note: Servers may not show the address for lawyer Senor Salmeron as is.
1-1(superscript o)-1(superscipt 3), 04001 ALMERIA, SPAIN)
We asked permission from The Learning Edge to send this forward to other
homeschoolers on the internet. We were granted the permission.
Please pass this along to other homeschoolers. At the end of this article
is information on where homeschoolers can write to help them. Thank you.
========================================================.
HOME EDUCATION IN SPAIN: ONE FAMILY'S TRAVAILS
by Dr. Pat Montgomery
The Leraning Edge, Vol. 17, No. 1, Oct/Nov 1999
Clonlara School
1289 Jewett St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
This story is a factual account of a family living in Almeria, Spain:
Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez, Dolores (Lola) Ruiz Cruz, their seven year old
son, Gabriel Garcia Ruiz, and his two siblings, not yet of school age.
They have been enrolled in Clonlara School for the past two years.
Lola explained to us her reasons for choosing to home educate: "We think
that these are the most important years in the life of a human being, from
birth until sixteen. We want to give them all our support and see the
family growing together, learning together."
The parents had attended a gathering in Madrid where they became acquainted
with John Holt's work. Here was a kindred spirit whose writings resonated
in their hearts and minds. They had found the course that they would take
- parents as teachers, learners together.
Home education is neither legal nor illegal in Spain; local school
authorities decide each case. In the case of this family, the response of
authorities was to file suit aganst them in court. The paretns had tried
to telephone both the Inspector of Schools and the local authorities, but
their calls were never returned.
"The Delegate hasn't returned calls; the Inspector hasn't returned calls.
We want them to know our position," states a quote from Lola in La Voz de
Almeria, September 18, 1999.
For an entire week this September, the newspaper, La Voz de Almeria,
published a series of articles about the family's home schooling. The
situation was thoroughly examined from every possible angle-the family's
reasons for their choice, the court proceedings, the localauthorities'
response, and the actions of the State Inspector.
The local school principal reported that she "did her dut by informing the
State School Inspector" as soon as she learned of the family's home
educating.
The headlines and subtitles pretty much tell the tale:
"GABRIEL LIVES 6000 KILOMETERS FROM THE SCHOOL."
"The Ministry of Education admits that this is an atypical situation but
defends compulsory education."
One photo of Gabriel playing in his yard was captioned, "The garden and the
open area that surround the hous, together with the plaza and the park of
the town, are the scenarios for the child's games."
"The tribunal disagrees about the higher riight of parents regarding the
schooling of their children."
"'Our Child is a Happy Child. Gabriel Eats when he wants to. Neither
before nor after. Textbooks bore him,' says his mother."
"No child should be deprived of the companionship of other children,"
opines the Delegate of Education."
There was, also, a grave misunderstanding about the use of the Internet.
Lola maintains regular communication with her Clonlara-assigned contact
teacher via email over the Internet. In early articles, the newspaper
reporter's observations were misconstrued by school officials who got the
impression that Gabriel was being schooled over the Internet. This caused
a ruckus, naturally.
"Education authorities are looking for legal ways to stop a young boy of
eigght years old from studying only over the Internet," blares one
headline. The article under it states that Gabriel spends 10 hours each
day laboring over the keyboard. Lola is then called upon to make the
correction that it is she herself who uses the Internet (but not for 10
hours a day). Gabriel does not even know the keyboard yet and he shows
absolutely no interest in using it. A second headline shouts: "What they
have said about this child spending ten hours connected on the Internet is
totally false."
De`ja vu all over again?
The rights of parents to determine the educational choice for their
children, the underlying distrust of parents to determine the educational
choice for their children, the underlying distrust of parents by school
authorities to choose wisely, and the threat that home education makes to
conventional schooling are all part of the mix. The scene has been played
out in homes and towns and cities all over the United States in the last 25
or so years; it has run its course through school districts and courtrooms
as well.
Now, it has reached fever pitch in Spain. Oh, there have been home
schoolers in that country for years, but they operated "underground." This
family has been forced into the public spotlight, a position that curbs
their freedom to educate in peace, without undue interference.
"We never thought that is would cause so much dust to blow up," states Lola
in La Voz. Hear! Hear!
Perhaps now that the issue is public, the local and state school
authorities and the edictor of La Voz de Almeria may benefit by hearing the
true stories of success from home educators in America. You can share the
good news, as you know it, with them. You can help allleviate the distrust
and the fear of the authoriiteis. You can lend support to the Ruiz Cruz
family.
Write to the Editor: Elena Sevillano Garcia, editora, La Voz de Almeria,
Avd. De Montserrat, 50-04446, Almeria, Espana (Spain).
Send all letters to the family and/or to the Almeria Elementary School
Principal and/or to the Defenor Al Pueblo Andaluz in care of the family's
lawyer: Senor Juan Manuel Salmeron, ALMER, C/Mendez Munoz 1-1o-13, 04001
ALMERIA, SPAIN (fax #011 34 950230712.).
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------
(note: Servers may not show the address for lawyer Senor Salmeron as is.
1-1(superscript o)-1(superscipt 3), 04001 ALMERIA, SPAIN)
rpaul
Hello, all!
We asked permission from The Learning Edge to send this forward to other
homeschoolers on the internet. We were granted the permission.
Please pass this along to other homeschoolers. At the end of this article
is information on where homeschoolers can write to help them. Thank you.
========================================================
HOME EDUCATION IN SPAIN: ONE FAMILY'S TRAVAILS
by Dr. Pat Montgomery
The Learning Edge, Vol. 17, No. 1, Oct/Nov 1999
Clonlara School
1289 Jewett St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
This story is a factual account of a family living in Almeria, Spain:
Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez, Dolores (Lola) Ruiz Cruz, their seven year old
son, Gabriel Garcia Ruiz, and his two siblings, not yet of school age.
They have been enrolled in Clonlara School for the past two years.
Lola explained to us her reasons for choosing to home educate: "We think
that these are the most important years in the life of a human being, from
birth until sixteen. We want to give them all our support and see the
family growing together, learning together."
The parents had attended a gathering in Madrid where they became acquainted
with John Holt's work. Here was a kindred spirit whose writings resonated
in their hearts and minds. They had found the course that they would take
- parents as teachers, learners together.
Home education is neither legal nor illegal in Spain; local school
authorities decide each case. In the case of this family, the response of
authorities was to file suit against them in court. The parents had tried
to telephone both the Inspector of Schools and the local authorities, but
their calls were never returned.
"The Delegate hasn't returned calls; the Inspector hasn't returned calls.
We want them to know our position," states a quote from Lola in La Voz de
Almeria, September 18, 1999.
For an entire week this September, the newspaper, La Voz de Almeria,
published a series of articles about the family's home schooling. The
situation was thoroughly examined from every possible angle-the family's
reasons for their choice, the court proceedings, the local authorities'
response, and the actions of the State Inspector.
The local school principal reported that she "did her duty by informing the
State School Inspector" as soon as she learned of the family's home
educating.
The headlines and subtitles pretty much tell the tale:
"GABRIEL LIVES 6000 KILOMETERS FROM THE SCHOOL."
"The Ministry of Education admits that this is an atypical situation but
defends compulsory education."
One photo of Gabriel playing in his yard was captioned, "The garden and the
open area that surround the house, together with the plaza and the park of
the town, are the scenarios for the child's games."
"The tribunal disagrees about the higher right of parents regarding the
schooling of their children."
"'Our Child is a Happy Child. Gabriel Eats when he wants to. Neither
before nor after. Textbooks bore him,' says his mother."
"No child should be deprived of the companionship of other children,"
opines the Delegate of Education."
There was, also, a grave misunderstanding about the use of the Internet.
Lola maintains regular communication with her Clonlara-assigned contact
teacher via email over the Internet. In early articles, the newspaper
reporter's observations were misconstrued by school officials who got the
impression that Gabriel was being schooled over the Internet. This caused
a ruckus, naturally.
"Education authorities are looking for legal ways to stop a young boy of
eight years old from studying only over the Internet," blares one headline.
The article under it states that Gabriel spends 10 hours each day laboring
over the keyboard. Lola is then called upon to make the correction that it
is she herself who uses the Internet (but not for 10 hours a day). Gabriel
does not even know the keyboard yet and he shows absolutely no interest in
using it. A second headline shouts: "What they have said about this child
spending ten hours connected on the Internet is totally false."
De`ja vu all over again?
The rights of parents to determine the educational choice for their
children, the underlying distrust of parents to determine the educational
choice for their children, the underlying distrust of parents by school
authorities to choose wisely, and the threat that home education makes to
conventional schooling are all part of the mix. The scene has been played
out in homes and towns and cities all over the United States in the last 25
or so years; it has run its course through school districts and courtrooms
as well.
Now, it has reached fever pitch in Spain. Oh, there have been home
schoolers in that country for years, but they operated "underground." This
family has been forced into the public spotlight, a position that curbs
their freedom to educate in peace, without undue interference.
"We never thought that is would cause so much dust to blow up," states Lola
in La Voz. Hear! Hear!
Perhaps now that the issue is public, the local and state school
authorities and the editor of La Voz de Almeria may benefit by hearing the
true stories of success from home educators in America. You can share the
good news, as you know it, with them. You can help alleviate the distrust
and the fear of the authorities. You can lend support to the Ruiz Cruz
family.
Write to the Editor: Elena Sevillano Garcia, editora, La Voz de Almeria,
Avd. De Montserrat, 50-04446, Almeria, Espana (Spain).
Send all letters to the family and/or to the Almeria Elementary School
Principal and/or to the Defensor Al Pueblo Andaluz in care of the family's
lawyer: Senor Juan Manuel Salmeron, ALMER, C/Mendez Munoz 1-1o-13, 04001
ALMERIA, SPAIN (fax #011 34 950230712.).
We asked permission from The Learning Edge to send this forward to other
homeschoolers on the internet. We were granted the permission.
Please pass this along to other homeschoolers. At the end of this article
is information on where homeschoolers can write to help them. Thank you.
========================================================
HOME EDUCATION IN SPAIN: ONE FAMILY'S TRAVAILS
by Dr. Pat Montgomery
The Learning Edge, Vol. 17, No. 1, Oct/Nov 1999
Clonlara School
1289 Jewett St. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
This story is a factual account of a family living in Almeria, Spain:
Gabriel Garcia Rodriguez, Dolores (Lola) Ruiz Cruz, their seven year old
son, Gabriel Garcia Ruiz, and his two siblings, not yet of school age.
They have been enrolled in Clonlara School for the past two years.
Lola explained to us her reasons for choosing to home educate: "We think
that these are the most important years in the life of a human being, from
birth until sixteen. We want to give them all our support and see the
family growing together, learning together."
The parents had attended a gathering in Madrid where they became acquainted
with John Holt's work. Here was a kindred spirit whose writings resonated
in their hearts and minds. They had found the course that they would take
- parents as teachers, learners together.
Home education is neither legal nor illegal in Spain; local school
authorities decide each case. In the case of this family, the response of
authorities was to file suit against them in court. The parents had tried
to telephone both the Inspector of Schools and the local authorities, but
their calls were never returned.
"The Delegate hasn't returned calls; the Inspector hasn't returned calls.
We want them to know our position," states a quote from Lola in La Voz de
Almeria, September 18, 1999.
For an entire week this September, the newspaper, La Voz de Almeria,
published a series of articles about the family's home schooling. The
situation was thoroughly examined from every possible angle-the family's
reasons for their choice, the court proceedings, the local authorities'
response, and the actions of the State Inspector.
The local school principal reported that she "did her duty by informing the
State School Inspector" as soon as she learned of the family's home
educating.
The headlines and subtitles pretty much tell the tale:
"GABRIEL LIVES 6000 KILOMETERS FROM THE SCHOOL."
"The Ministry of Education admits that this is an atypical situation but
defends compulsory education."
One photo of Gabriel playing in his yard was captioned, "The garden and the
open area that surround the house, together with the plaza and the park of
the town, are the scenarios for the child's games."
"The tribunal disagrees about the higher right of parents regarding the
schooling of their children."
"'Our Child is a Happy Child. Gabriel Eats when he wants to. Neither
before nor after. Textbooks bore him,' says his mother."
"No child should be deprived of the companionship of other children,"
opines the Delegate of Education."
There was, also, a grave misunderstanding about the use of the Internet.
Lola maintains regular communication with her Clonlara-assigned contact
teacher via email over the Internet. In early articles, the newspaper
reporter's observations were misconstrued by school officials who got the
impression that Gabriel was being schooled over the Internet. This caused
a ruckus, naturally.
"Education authorities are looking for legal ways to stop a young boy of
eight years old from studying only over the Internet," blares one headline.
The article under it states that Gabriel spends 10 hours each day laboring
over the keyboard. Lola is then called upon to make the correction that it
is she herself who uses the Internet (but not for 10 hours a day). Gabriel
does not even know the keyboard yet and he shows absolutely no interest in
using it. A second headline shouts: "What they have said about this child
spending ten hours connected on the Internet is totally false."
De`ja vu all over again?
The rights of parents to determine the educational choice for their
children, the underlying distrust of parents to determine the educational
choice for their children, the underlying distrust of parents by school
authorities to choose wisely, and the threat that home education makes to
conventional schooling are all part of the mix. The scene has been played
out in homes and towns and cities all over the United States in the last 25
or so years; it has run its course through school districts and courtrooms
as well.
Now, it has reached fever pitch in Spain. Oh, there have been home
schoolers in that country for years, but they operated "underground." This
family has been forced into the public spotlight, a position that curbs
their freedom to educate in peace, without undue interference.
"We never thought that is would cause so much dust to blow up," states Lola
in La Voz. Hear! Hear!
Perhaps now that the issue is public, the local and state school
authorities and the editor of La Voz de Almeria may benefit by hearing the
true stories of success from home educators in America. You can share the
good news, as you know it, with them. You can help alleviate the distrust
and the fear of the authorities. You can lend support to the Ruiz Cruz
family.
Write to the Editor: Elena Sevillano Garcia, editora, La Voz de Almeria,
Avd. De Montserrat, 50-04446, Almeria, Espana (Spain).
Send all letters to the family and/or to the Almeria Elementary School
Principal and/or to the Defensor Al Pueblo Andaluz in care of the family's
lawyer: Senor Juan Manuel Salmeron, ALMER, C/Mendez Munoz 1-1o-13, 04001
ALMERIA, SPAIN (fax #011 34 950230712.).