Homeschooling is a crime???

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

Why is homeschooling illegal in Germany???

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1330

Quote:

Germany Imprisons Mum. Dad and Kids Flee to Austria

From the desk of Alexandra Colen on Tue, 2006-09-12 21:11

Last Thursday the German police arrested Katharina Plett, a homeschooling mother of twelve. Yesterday her husband fled to Austria with the children. Homeschooling is illegal in Germany since Hitler banned it in 1938. The Plett family belongs to a homeschooling group of seven Baptist families in Paderborn. We wrote about their case last year.

Stefan Sedlaczek of the Catholic website kreuz.net heard about her arrest on Saturday. He reports today that a female plain-clothes police officer rang at Katharina Plett's house on Thursday around 11:00 am. When she opened the door other police officers, who had hidden themselves, forced their way in. Mrs Plett was allowed to change, but a police officer followed her into her bedroom in case "she would arm herself and shoot us all." The woman was able to inform her husband by mobile phone before the police brought her to Bielefeld.

The authorities later informed her husband that she has been imprisoned in Gelsenkirchen. Apparently she has been given a ten day prison sentence. When Sedlaczek rang the Gelsenkirchen prison authorities to get confirmation of Katharina Plett's whereabouts, he was told that no information would be given. A written request for information has so far not been answered either. Unless we are mistaken, the German mainstream media have not written anything about this case yet.

Yesterday, Katharina's husband fled with their children to a Christian family center in Wolfgangsee in Austria. A homeschooling couple from Hamburg has also fled to Wolfgangsee. Their case was covered in the media. In Austria parents are entitled to homeschool during a one year trial period, after which the authorities decide whether the parents are allowed to continue homeschooling or not.

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[Nicodema]

I wouldn't worry about Germany. Apparently in America, thoughts are crimes. I'd worry more about what's going on here.

[darlene]

That could be, Nico, but it was still good of Pam to have posted this topic here. It is a topic that does need to be discussed because of the results of some of the homeschooling that is done.

In some places homeschooling should be called a crime. I really feel sorry for some kids who are homeschooled. Some parents mean the best for the kids but they don't have a clue how to homeschool. Some of the kids come out way behind of those their age. Yet, some of those who are homeschooled do very well. Could it be the level of control or lack of control some parents have with their children? \

Sometimes parents homeschool their kids for too long. At some point children do need the association of their peers. Do I sound like an authority on the topics? No, however, I observed 3 of my neices and nephews. Fortunately my sister was a former teacher so she new what she was doing but, she did it too long.

[Naomi]

I realize that there are some parents who home school who do not do an adequate job. Or as you say Darlene, do it far too long.

However, I know many children who have been home schooled and excelled in their college years. My niece and nephew are great examples.

The neighborhood in which I lived for 14 years had 6 families who home schooled. After a few years they formed a Christian corp. and were able to schedule classes so that the parents who were most talented in various subjects would teach prescheduled courses.

They wore uniforms. When the weather was nice they would go outside and have a devotional, Pledge Allegiance to the Flag and sang the National Anthem.

The schedules were carefully observed and PE was included in their routine.

Four of the older children who are 16 & 17 were the first to go to college and three received full-ride scholarships to our nation's top schools. The third received a nice "partial" scholarship.

Needless to say, I am impressed with home schooling when it is done properly.

Naomi

[darlene]

That's great! That is the way homeschooling should be and that is the way my sister's homeschooling was. Her kids did not lack and were not behind scholastically. They did very, very well. The problem was that they should have been in a school setting where they had more contact with their peers. They did have quite a bit of contact with other children through the local homeschooling Co-op. However, that was not enough and they ended up feeling left out and not accepted as a result of being homeschooled too long. Grade 6-7-8 is too long.

[Naomi]

Most of the kids I knew were involved with Community Threater, sports and other activities which opened doors for relatioship building. However, there is always room for improvement.

Due to busing, and people using local addresses of family or friends to enter our public schools it didn't take long for our local school system to decline drastically ... big time! Gangs took over, police at the doors, metal detecting divices, etc.

When they returned from the mission field, my brother's children were enrolled into one of our High Schools. It was a culture shock ... life in the states is much different from the Mission. They had more than one adjustment with which to deal.

[darlene]

Homeschooling in a situation where there is not a church school is certainly understandable. What I find difficult to understand is when homeschooling is done and there is a church school in the area. Now, I do know that not all church school situations are ideal, but, they certainly are better then some homeschooling situations.

[Toni]

I'm hoping things change for Germany. I think they are just in a place like the US was not all that long ago, and I hope it will change for them.

I for one plan on homeschooling until my kids are in college, unless God has other plans! My oldest would be in 6th grade now, and he's doing just great.

[darlene]

Homeschooling is an option and it is the responsibility of individual parents. You are fortunate, Tony. I have observed very poor outcomes as I taught school. I have had some children come to my classroom who were homeschooled, were behind, and did very poorly. I have had some children come my classroom who were homeschooled and did very well. Of course it has to do with the quality of homeschooling and with the character and intelligence of the child. That is not my contention. My contention is with parents who do a very poor job of homeschooling and the length of time a child is homeschooled.

[fifiqueen]

I homeschooled because I was unhappy with the church school. I took my daughter out and homeschooled her and then put her into a state run school. She was ahead of the game when she started state school. But I will agree homeschooling is not easy and not for everyone.I spent much of my time beating myself up thinking that I was not doing enough. It is also difficult trying to look after your children full time and sort out their educational needs, without a spare moment for yourself. When you are struggling financially as well it limits the resources you have and the outings that you can take with your children. Homeschooling is not for you everyone without a doubt.

One of my biggest concerns with homeschooling was social interaction and ensuring that my child had enough with her peer group. It's not so easy when everyone else is in school.

I feel for this family, what an awful experience. What a world!

[Toni]

I don't think I am fortunate at all. I don't think my child is doing well "in spite of" homeschooling. I think he is doing well, becuase he is homeschooling. I think there are many ways to homeschool, and children thrive in all of them. Would it surprise you to know that we (gasp!) unschooled for most of the early years? I am very active in our local homeschool community, and I just don't see the same things that you are seeing. I don't expect to change your mind...but I am just coming from a completely different philosophy in regards to the way kids learn, and they way that that should happen.

If the Lord leads me to put my kids in school some day, then so be it. I know they will thrive wherever they need to be! I just think it's funny, that complete strangers act as if they absolutely know what is best for my kids.

[darlene]

Toni, I refuse to argue. Discuss, yes.

[Toni]

Hmm..I don't think I am arguing! If it helps, just picture a quiet, compassionate person talking to you in a mild, questioning voice. I am not an arguer...and I think that after 12 years on the internet, this is the first time I have engaged in an opposing view with someone. I just have an alternative view on education, and am trying to share it. I think a lot of people have misconceptions on what homeschooling is like. When you are saying that you think across the board that there is a limit on how long you can homeschool, or that some parents do it the wrong way, that is just a little condescending.

Yes, I agree that some people should not homeschool, but I think that number is pretty low. I think if you have the desire and the commitment, you can do it. I don't think any age is too old to be homeschooled. If parents are neglectful, then they would be neglectful whether the kids are in school or not. I think homeschooling gets blamed for a lot of difficulties that kids have, when in fact I think that they would have those problems whether in school or not. I was a very shy, introverted child in school. I am fairly certain that if I were homschooled, my shyness and social awkwardness would have been blamed on homeschooling!

I think a lot of times, homeschooling horror stories take far too much of the center stage. Behind those stories, are thousands and thousands of positive stories, with successful and happy kids.

[darlene]

Thanks for your response, Toni. I believe you took my comments as specifically to your own situation. They were not intended that way. As you say, I do not know you, your children nor your situation. My comments were meant to be general not specific.

Yes, there are good homeschooling situations and yes, there are bad homeschooling situations. If you look back on my comments you will see that I am not anti homeschooling. I am anti bad homeschooling and I am anti homeschooling for too great a length of time because I have personally seen the results of homeschooling children for too great a length of time in my own family an in the lives of some of my own students. So, please do not take my comments as being anti homeschooling.

[Toni]

Thank-you for clarifying. I do understand that you were not being specific to my situation. :-) I suppose I am a bit of a cheerleader for the underdog though...and I wanted to point out that generalizations can be damaging. I'm just thinking, that out of those families that you worked with, there was some reason why they chose to put their kids in school. Just think of all the families that didn't! Obviously homeschooling wasn't working for that handful, but there were countless others for whom it was working, and they were successful! :-)

[darlene]

That little handful in my corner of the world is a concern because my little corner of the world isn't/wasn't so small. :-) I wish it was my little corner of the world because then it wouldn't be such a concern.