Comments on: Homeschooling in Germany: Illegal http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:16:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: American Mom in Germany http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-45228 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 15:55:46 +0000 http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-45228 To Tenshi: I am one of those incredibly rare Americans who did actually leave their homestate... I live in Germany! Unfortunately, I didn't know it was illegal to homeschool here until I arrived (contracts signed, welcome aboard, no turning back now...) I didn't think I'd ever want to homeschool, but after experiencing many issues with the "international" school my child attends, I wish I had the option to homeschool. I don't care about "pornography" or evolution or anything like that... I care about the fact that my child is LOST in a class and forced to try and keep up with over-acheivers who are being pushed by their parents and a curriculum which is far tougher than what I faced in the same grade... I have particular issue with your comment that homeschool parents will "force their believes[sic] on the kids". Do you live in the real world? Where do you think all kids get their beliefs? They model what their parents do and say... not what the school tells them. (They "learn" that because they have to, it's not usually what they "believe".)I teach my child more about other beliefs than my child's school does! If it were not for me, my child would not know about Buddha, American Indians, Ghandi, Hindu, Darwinism, Catholicsm, Atheism, Islam or anything other than Judiasm and mainstream Christianity (which are the only topics I've seen covered so far...) Not to mention the fact that who is really more concerned about MY CHILD- the school who has to please everyone and not offend anyone and make everyone fit the "mold" of "good student" or me who understands my child and can reach them and help them make sense of everything thru intimate knowledge of the individual child? To Tenshi:
I am one of those incredibly rare Americans who did actually leave their homestate… I live in Germany! Unfortunately, I didn’t know it was illegal to homeschool here until I arrived (contracts signed, welcome aboard, no turning back now…) I didn’t think I’d ever want to homeschool, but after experiencing many issues with the “international” school my child attends, I wish I had the option to homeschool.
I don’t care about “pornography” or evolution or anything like that… I care about the fact that my child is LOST in a class and forced to try and keep up with over-acheivers who are being pushed by their parents and a curriculum which is far tougher than what I faced in the same grade…
I have particular issue with your comment that homeschool parents will “force their believes[sic] on the kids”. Do you live in the real world? Where do you think all kids get their beliefs? They model what their parents do and say… not what the school tells them. (They “learn” that because they have to, it’s not usually what they “believe”.)I teach my child more about other beliefs than my child’s school does! If it were not for me, my child would not know about Buddha, American Indians, Ghandi, Hindu, Darwinism, Catholicsm, Atheism, Islam or anything other than Judiasm and mainstream Christianity (which are the only topics I’ve seen covered so far…)
Not to mention the fact that who is really more concerned about MY CHILD- the school who has to please everyone and not offend anyone and make everyone fit the “mold” of “good student” or me who understands my child and can reach them and help them make sense of everything thru intimate knowledge of the individual child?

]]> by: Beverley Paine http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39489 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:36:35 +0000 http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39489 Reading about the situation in Germany makes me thankful that our family lives in Australia where home education is gradually becoming accepted as a successful and viable alternative to school based education by all state education authorities. My sympathies go to those German families that despite persecution and the threat of legal action continue to follow their heart and champion their children's educational needs. Beverley Paine http://homeschoolaustralia.com http://alwayslearningbooks.com.au Reading about the situation in Germany makes me thankful that our family lives in Australia where home education is gradually becoming accepted as a successful and viable alternative to school based education by all state education authorities. My sympathies go to those German families that despite persecution and the threat of legal action continue to follow their heart and champion their children’s educational needs.

Beverley Paine
http://homeschoolaustralia.com
http://alwayslearningbooks.com.au

]]> by: Tenshi http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39476 Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:04:38 +0000 http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39476 First of all, annoying the gov with some complaints from foreigners, who dont know any more about Germany and German school system than what they read in american media, will certainly not solve the problem. Neither will comparing the responsibles to Hitler and Nazis. It is absolutely inappropriate. Secondly I do find it important for children to come in contact with other people of the same age, other beliefs and races to let them learn tolerance. No one forbids the parents to teach the children what ever they want after school, they may even teach them that evolution and whatever is wrong, but the kids should be given a broad knowledge, so that they can choose for themselves. And about pornography stuff: to be allowed to attend sexual education course you need an explicit allowance by your parents (onless you are adult), if they dont allow it, you will spend the lesson in a seprate room or on the schoolyard, doing homework, chatting, listening to music or alternatively watching some educational film about a different topic. I can't remember having EVER been shown pornography at school. Don't know where you got that one from. There is a pronoscene in the film of Orwell's 1984 (British film btw), but our teacher exempted us to leave the room or look away during it, if we didnt want to see such stuff. I think, homeschooling is more dangerous, cause the parents will force their believes on the kids, without even giving them the possibility to learn about other beliefs, political or social or whatever views. On the other hand, in school you learn about all the different religions, political systems, political views in stuff without anyone asking you to choose one or presenting one as the best. In school we learn to be critical and make our own opinion on everything. I have always had good marks, despite the fact that my views mostly contradicted the "general knowledge", and often even got extra points for creativity. I have never felt like school was there to form me into anything "the government" or whoever wants, but actually I have grown up to be pretty anticonformistic. By the way the topic is no deal on german media and I got the feeling, that the only people writing about it are americans who have never even left their homestate. No offence, but please don't write that agitative against something you don't know anything about. Geetings from Germany First of all, annoying the gov with some complaints from foreigners, who dont know any more about Germany and German school system than what they read in american media, will certainly not solve the problem. Neither will comparing the responsibles to Hitler and Nazis. It is absolutely inappropriate.
Secondly I do find it important for children to come in contact with other people of the same age, other beliefs and races to let them learn tolerance. No one forbids the parents to teach the children what ever they want after school, they may even teach them that evolution and whatever is wrong, but the kids should be given a broad knowledge, so that they can choose for themselves.

And about pornography stuff: to be allowed to attend sexual education course you need an explicit allowance by your parents (onless you are adult), if they dont allow it, you will spend the lesson in a seprate room or on the schoolyard, doing homework, chatting, listening to music or alternatively watching some educational film about a different topic.
I can’t remember having EVER been shown pornography at school. Don’t know where you got that one from. There is a pronoscene in the film of Orwell’s 1984 (British film btw), but our teacher exempted us to leave the room or look away during it, if we didnt want to see such stuff.

I think, homeschooling is more dangerous, cause the parents will force their believes on the kids, without even giving them the possibility to learn about other beliefs, political or social or whatever views. On the other hand, in school you learn about all the different religions, political systems, political views in stuff without anyone asking you to choose one or presenting one as the best. In school we learn to be critical and make our own opinion on everything. I have always had good marks, despite the fact that my views mostly contradicted the “general knowledge”, and often even got extra points for creativity. I have never felt like school was there to form me into anything “the government” or whoever wants, but actually I have grown up to be pretty anticonformistic.

By the way the topic is no deal on german media and I got the feeling, that the only people writing about it are americans who have never even left their homestate. No offence, but please don’t write that agitative against something you don’t know anything about.

Geetings from Germany

]]> by: Kate http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39446 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 16:58:03 +0000 http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-39446 HSLDA and other homeschooling sites are currently trying to draw attention to the hundreds of German families fleeing the country to move to the U.K. and U.S. so they can continue homeschooling their children. It's appalling that this Hitler-originated law is being used to jail well-meaning, loving parents and to remove their children from their care! HSLDA and other homeschooling sites are currently trying to draw attention to the hundreds of German families fleeing the country to move to the U.K. and U.S. so they can continue homeschooling their children.

It’s appalling that this Hitler-originated law is being used to jail well-meaning, loving parents and to remove their children from their care!

]]> by: Agent Tim Online » Illegal: Homeschooling in Germany http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-496 Thu, 11 Aug 2005 20:47:35 +0000 http://www.virtuemag.org/articles/homeschooling-in-germany-illegal#comment-496 [...] what the latest news was. It’s worse than ever. I had read about it awhile back in Virtue Magazine, and couldn’t believe the persecution there. And we in A [...] [...] what the latest news was. It’s worse than ever. I had read about it awhile back in Virtue Magazine, and couldn’t believe the persecution there. And we in A [...]

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