This morning I touched briefly on the struggle European homeschoolers are having.
New restrictions in France would only allow children with health problems or handicaps to be homeschooled. This would send the majority of France’s 20,000 homeschooled children back to school. In addition, if a child did qualify to homeschool, they would have to use a government-approved course, and be monitored regularly. Well, I am pleased to announce that they are already making headway. Apparently, the France Education Ministry has withdrawn the homeschooling prohibition.
The Home School Legal Defense Association, the same organization that has helped numerous homeschoolers in the United States Secure the right to homeschool, are active in the French, German, and European movement. Regardless of what interior motives some homeschoolers feel they have, no one can argue that they are good at what they do, securing homeschoolers freedoms.
So how did the HSLDA convince French policymakers to lighten their grip on homeschoolers? Let us just say that there is power in numbers. Using their greatest resource, their homeschooling members, an onslaught of messages, calls, and emails were delivered to the French Embassy. The tactics were successful, so for now, French homeschoolers can breathe a sigh of relief.
Homeschoolers in Germany are not faring as well. Homeschoolers are being jailed, prosecuted, and harassed. You see, German public schools teach what is described as anti-Christian teachings, and so a great many Christians have pulled out of the schools. This behavior is not being tolerated. Homeschooling has been banned.
Homeschooling is also under fire in the UK. Home education is considered potentially dangerous for children in that child abuse can go unchecked. Today’s European homeschoolers are facing many of the same problems that homeschoolers in the United States faced decades ago.
… But we did get through it… there is hope.
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