The 'crime' of home-schooling

Katherina Plett of Paderborn, Germany was recently sentenced to 10 days in prison for the 'crime' of home-schooling her children. She fell foul of a law enacted by the Nazi's in 1938, designed to 'protect' the Hitler Youth from the influence of parent and others in the home. This begs the question why Germany has retained any laws enacted by the Nazi's, let alone invoke these laws against modern citizens! The female officer watched Mrs. Plett as she changed her clothes in case: 'She would arm herself and shoot us all.'

Mrs. Plett, a Baptist Christian, was taken to Gelsenkirchen jails, where she served a 10 day prison sentence for exercising her right to be the primary educator of her children. Her husband fled with their children to Austria, where he was given asylum at a christian family centre in Wolfgangsee. Another home-schooling family from Germany has also taken refuge after a Paderborn court ordered the seizure of their children.

German authorities have recently cracked down on home-schooling families (mostly Christian), who have no intention of letting the German schools indoctrinate their children with anit-christian values.

Source: Sword Magazine Vol:1 No.2 Page 21

Thanks for this information . . . .I knew it was against the law to homeschool in Germany, but I didn't know it could involve jail time. Makes me appreciate the precious freedoms (that we tend to take for granted) here in the States, and other countries. I homeschool my children and it is such a privelege.

Here is a really good article from HSLDA about the subject.

http://www.hslda.org/courtreport/V22N6/V22N601.asp

Mike

Oh my that is horible that they act as if or even think Christians are going to get a gun and shoot them what a shame.

I sometimes wonder how much of this opposition to home schooling is fueled by the parents themselves. Most of the families in our church homeschool. Some moms do an excellent job, but the others...well, they would provide plenty of fodder for the opposition. Really, some of those home schooled children cannot read well at all! And to say anything about it, is to invite a lot of conflict. Now this is just one small church...what if this were the case statewide, nationwide? From the natural viewpoint I think the secular educational authorities do have a good reason for concern IF the concern is whether the person can read well, understand math, can calculate, think logically, etc. Methinks home schoolers would do well to be better then the secular educational system. If they won't who can blame them?

Before you home schoolers jump on me, let me tell you this...our youngest was home schooled (high school) using the A Beka video program.

ginnyrose

Another similar story, http://rawstory.com/news/2006/Home_school_family_in_Germany_flees_08282006.html

Jordan

quote:
Methinks home schoolers would do well to be better then the secular educational system.

JennRich writes:
Absolutely. . . I'm a homeschool mom and I strive (with God's help) to do things in an excellent way -- to dress a little nicer than I feel like, to be a little more polite to librarians, etc. whom we encounter during homeschool hours. . . I even try to ask advice from public schoolteachers (regarding learning methods), just to make the point that we're not "against" them.

"Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another." (Mark 9:50)