The US government granted political asylum to a German homeschooling family yesterday. It’s the first time ‘homeschooling’ has been the main consideration for granting political asylum in the United States. What? Political asylum for an educational choice? Yep.
Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, even though the German government acknowledges that homeschooled children are bright and well-educated. And, homeschooling IS legal for German families who travel often (like circus performers) or due to medical necessity. The problem the German government seems to have is with families who want to homeschool for `conscientious’ reasons—related to social, moral, political or religious reasons. In fact, the highest criminal court in Germany stated in a case in 2006 that ‘the government was allowed to take custody of children whose parents want to homeschool for reasons of conscience.’
Wow, that just makes this American’s skin crawl a bit.
Judge Burman, who presided over the case said: “the rights being violated here are basic human rights that no country has a right to violate.” In the legal brief on the case, educational choices parents make for their children are considered part of their upbringing and a basic right of parents.
So, for a supposedly democratic country like Germany to persecute a particular social group to the extent they have homeschoolers….well, shame on them. Dragging children, crying, from the arms of their parents to force them to attend state schools? Really? What era in Germany does this sound like?
For more information on this case: The Guardian's article and The Homeschool Legal Defense Fund's opinion.
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Comments
There are also private and religious schools in Germany. They could have sent their children to one of them. And homeschooling is not a basic human right. The European Court of Human Rights clearly said so, too.
I also doubt that the American judge would have decided that way, if the family were fanatical Muslims who wanted to teach their children at home about the bad infidels and how killing them, for example with flying a big plane into a skyscraper, is a good thing. The judge was very unobjective, because he likes the Romeikes, a white, middle class, Evangelical Christians family. Luckily they weren't black, poor and Muslim.
But nevertheless I hope that the USA won't change their asylum decision. Others religious fundamentalists hopefully will follow them and leave Germany. And hopefully also neo-nazis, who don't want that their children learn in class with non-white people, communists, who don't want that their children learn anything in school about democracy, and so on.
It makes me so sad to read the last Post! I think teaching our children is our responsibility! As a mother I know no-one will be looking out for my child’s best interest as much as I am. I think that home-schooling needs to have boundaries that ensure the child is learning academically. It does not matter if a child is home-schooled or not, if a parent or legal guardian is wanting to teach a specific value (or lack of them) they can do that after school hours, but it is hard to un-teach a value or lack of value. Lets leave education about education and look at how the child is progressing academically and not take away a parents rights to teach in a style they see best for their child!
I am going to tread a cautious line on the fence here. I believe that it is the right of a government to say that children have to be educated in a school but it is their responsibility to ensure that there are adequate choices of school to meet the needs of the society. It is easier to ensure a good education and to integrate citizens into their society.
That being said, I believe in the advantages of home schooling and think it is sad that Germany is not interested in the extra work involved in monitoring the quality of homeschooling. As far as teaching different social values that is always the job of the parent and nothing can keep you from teaching your kids. Yes it is easier not to un-teach but if you want your kids to believe something different than the rest of the society they live in, they should also know what they are in opposition to. Education should be about learning, not controlling.
The judge would have ruled differently if he felt the Romeikes were teaching their children to do things like kill or harm people who didn't believe the way they do. It wasn't because they were white Christians. And in America, people who don't want their children to socialize with people of other cultures or races or learn about democracy DO homeschool their children. Don't assume it's just Christian "fundamentalist" who homeschool. That's part of living in a free country. Sometimes we have to accept, although not agree with, when people do things differently than us. Thankfully, choosing to educate our children in the manner we see best is still a freedom we get to enjoy in most parts of the nation.
Homeschooling may be a right in the USA, which is completely ok. You can do whatever you want there. BUT don't claim that it is a basic human right! IT IS NOT. But I guess you are as bad informed as the judge.
I can't see homeschooling as a basic human right. Just like anything else, it can be used to alienate and destroy. At the same time, I don't accept the argument that a mother always has a child's best interests in mind or is always the best advocate for her children. There is a big problem with absolute and sweeping statements in that those statements are often wrong on some level. My parents made some decisions that were wrong for me even if they thought they were doing what they thought was best.
What is necessary is to put yourself in another person's shoes. As long as what someone does is not harmful to others, then they should be allowed to do it. As long as homeschooling is not harming the children, then it should be allowed. The case can be made that not homeschooling children can be harmful to some children. So, the converse should be true as well.
But, I don't think asylum is the best solution here. If the parents can emigrate, then let them.
The proper role of a free repulican democracy has never been and should never be to legislate education. That is overstepping granted powers in a big way. Our government should be securing our rights to us by punishing those who violate our rights; not by legislating laws to fit what some think is in the best interest of all. By close examination of the Communist Manifesto, #10 states that all children WILL be educated in free (of course that means tax payer financed) public schools. It is not a statement indicative of free societies. We need to reflect on such things and ask ourselves why we Americans have and still do give power to the government to operate out of bounds. What happened in Germany is only a step away for us unless we change our thinking and take responsibility for our own education and that of our children. THAT is how we became great as a nation. Government dictated education has not improved our minds and ideals. No one is touting our current system.
Thanks for the comments on this. This article had some strong reaction from readers, to be sure. Make sure you read the follow up article posted 2/2/2010 about homeschooling as a human right. I struggled with that idea, as many of you did. (Hey, do you mind posting your name with any comments you post? Thanks!)
SD--I'm not sure why their option was to seek political asylum. It sets an interesting precedent.
BW--Apparently, the United Nations thinks homeschooling is a human right. It was a bit of news to me as well. See my followup article.
I find the last entry interesting. What exactly do people think the definition of democracy is? Democracy is the rule of the majority. It is not a moral, humanitarian or social designation. It means what gets the most votes prevails. It is exactly the duty of a democracy to do what the most people (who vote) think is in everyone's best interest. The people's rights are only what the majority decides. The opinion of the minority is not protected. Education is the duty of the government because the majority decided it should be.
Deb W.--I agree with you, as long as children are not being harmed, I think that sometimes you just have to agree to disagree and let people live in peace.
VR--You're right that it is not the job of schools to teach social values (whether that is a good thing or a bad thing is debatable). As a culture, we have asked a lot of teachers and schools. The vast majority of which should never be their responsibility.
BW--I am pondering your comment that it's lucky they weren't a 'black, poor, Muslim family'. While I don't agree with your sentiment behind the comment, I wonder if you're right that they would've been treated differently.
I'm not sure what country you're from, but I hope that we are all--all nations, all people--are moving past hate and discrimination in the name of hate and differences.
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