obviously believes in fairytales. In a judgement earlier this year, they stated...
"...social competence in mixing with people of different points of view, practising tolerance, assertiveness and self-assertion of a conviction which is different to the mainstream can be better exercised when contacts with the society and its different perceptions do not just happen occasionally but are part of the everyday experience as connected with school attendance."
The European Court of Human Rights also has the same problem. Earlier this year, in refusing to take on the Konrad family's appeal, the judges stated
"In the present case the court notes that the German authorities have carefully reasoned their decisions and mainly stressed the fact that not only the acquisition of knowledge but also the integration into and first experience with society are important goals of primary school education. The German courts found that those objectives cannot be equally met by home education even if it allowed children to acquire the same standard of knowledge as provided for by primary school education. The Court considers this presumption as not being erroneous..."
Methinks that some people needs to do their homework.
Happy new Year. My resolution is to educate some judges about homeschooling.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
At last....
...The return of Socialisation Quote of the Day
From Time Magazine
A yawning chasm (with an emphasis on yawning) separates the world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside.
From Time Magazine
A yawning chasm (with an emphasis on yawning) separates the world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Movie Mincemeat
We went to see the Eragon movie last night and I reckon that it is a good argument for waiting till you've seen the movie before you read the book. I was totally disillusioned by it.
I can understand that Christopher Paolini's book is not translatable into a 2 hour long screen format. However, the makers of the film managed to take all the fat and most of the nutrition out of his wonderful epic plot, reconstituted it and squeezed it through a mincer. I enjoyed a lot of things about the film, but as far as the plot was concerned, yeugh!
I can understand that Christopher Paolini's book is not translatable into a 2 hour long screen format. However, the makers of the film managed to take all the fat and most of the nutrition out of his wonderful epic plot, reconstituted it and squeezed it through a mincer. I enjoyed a lot of things about the film, but as far as the plot was concerned, yeugh!
Monday, December 25, 2006
The web of lies grows....
This eye-opening article has appeared on the website of the German embassy in Ottawa. The way the German authorities create fabrications to malign homeschoolers in Germany is no longer a surprise to me (see my previous post).
I wrote them a letter pointing out some of their whoppers. By the way, these are the same people who are quite happy to educate their children at home through the Deutsche Fernschule (and I'm sure some of them are doing so).
I'll quote the article, because I have a feeling that it won't be around for long. My response to them follows.
Home schooling versus the German public school system
In Germany education is subject to provincial ("Laender") and not federal law. Generally, school attendance is obligatory in all provinces for children of school age. Parents are obliged to send their children to either public or private schools.
Schools must be approved by the competent authorities and may be run by the province, congregations (Christian, Jewish or other) or private institutions. Like in most other European countries, home schooling is not an option.
The German system of obligatory school attendance has a long tradition and it has proven to be successful. It ensures that all children's intellectual needs are met. Apart from that, it provides children with valuable experiences in regards to social interaction in groups, including contact with peers from different social or religious sections of society.
Furthermore, given recent world events, general school attendance is seen by parts of the German public as a means of protection from religious fundamentalism. Home schooling might allow religious fanatics to indoctrinate children in uncontrollable ways. In Germany children can attend religious education of their religious denomination in public or private schools.
As Germany is - in contrast to Canada – relatively small and densely populated, children are usually able to reach the nearest town and their school without difficulties.
Not sending your children to school is an infringement in Germany, sanctioned by a fine. Continuous and persistent violations constitute a criminal offence and may lead to imprisonment.
Concerning the recent legal cases in Germany, there have been long negotiations between the involved families and the Provincial Ministry of Education, which are still pending. The families in question have so far not been willing to accept testing of the students' performance or the many constructive proposals made by the province. These proposals included the opening of a private school, that would take into account the childrens' religious beliefs - more so than at a public school.
I wrote (at 6am after 5 hours of sleep, so excuse the repetition)
I have looked at your website and read the commentary on home education
in Germany. I think that you should fix up some of the comments, which
are patently false.
You state "Like in most other European countries, home schooling is not
an option." Germany is the only EU country (other than a couple of Swiss
cantons) where homeschooling is not an option.
"The German system of obligatory school attendance...and it has proven
to be successful. It ensures that all children's intellectual needs are
met. "
This statement is not borne out by the Pisa Study, the Rütli school and
other "Brennpunkt" schools, school shootings such as the Erfurt one and
the more recent one.
"The families in question have so far not been willing to accept testing
of the students' performance".
In fact most of the families in question have offered the authorities
the opportunity to test their children. The authorities are not
interested in taking up this offer, as all they are interested in is
that the children are sitting behind a desk in a school during school
hours. The Neubronners in Bremen offered the authorities this
opportunity and it was only after massive TV coverage (including an
interview on Stern TV with Gunther Jauch), that the authorities took
them up on this offer.
We are a home educating family in Niedersachsen. In our dealings with
the school authorities we have also stated that we would be happy to
have our children assessed but they have not taken us up on this.
We are foreigners living temporarily in Germany, but the German
authorities will not allow our children the opportunity to be educated
at home in their own language. Yet at the same time, a distance learning
institution
is
accredited by the German government to meet the needs of Germans
overseas who want to be educated, within their own four walls, in their
own language. This is in spite of the fact that the German authorities
insist that compulsory school attendance serves the best interests of
the child. At the very least this is hypocrisy, if not discrimination
against foreigners living temporarily in Germany.
I wrote them a letter pointing out some of their whoppers. By the way, these are the same people who are quite happy to educate their children at home through the Deutsche Fernschule (and I'm sure some of them are doing so).
I'll quote the article, because I have a feeling that it won't be around for long. My response to them follows.
Home schooling versus the German public school system
In Germany education is subject to provincial ("Laender") and not federal law. Generally, school attendance is obligatory in all provinces for children of school age. Parents are obliged to send their children to either public or private schools.
Schools must be approved by the competent authorities and may be run by the province, congregations (Christian, Jewish or other) or private institutions. Like in most other European countries, home schooling is not an option.
The German system of obligatory school attendance has a long tradition and it has proven to be successful. It ensures that all children's intellectual needs are met. Apart from that, it provides children with valuable experiences in regards to social interaction in groups, including contact with peers from different social or religious sections of society.
Furthermore, given recent world events, general school attendance is seen by parts of the German public as a means of protection from religious fundamentalism. Home schooling might allow religious fanatics to indoctrinate children in uncontrollable ways. In Germany children can attend religious education of their religious denomination in public or private schools.
As Germany is - in contrast to Canada – relatively small and densely populated, children are usually able to reach the nearest town and their school without difficulties.
Not sending your children to school is an infringement in Germany, sanctioned by a fine. Continuous and persistent violations constitute a criminal offence and may lead to imprisonment.
Concerning the recent legal cases in Germany, there have been long negotiations between the involved families and the Provincial Ministry of Education, which are still pending. The families in question have so far not been willing to accept testing of the students' performance or the many constructive proposals made by the province. These proposals included the opening of a private school, that would take into account the childrens' religious beliefs - more so than at a public school.
I wrote (at 6am after 5 hours of sleep, so excuse the repetition)
I have looked at your website and read the commentary on home education
in Germany. I think that you should fix up some of the comments, which
are patently false.
You state "Like in most other European countries, home schooling is not
an option." Germany is the only EU country (other than a couple of Swiss
cantons) where homeschooling is not an option.
"The German system of obligatory school attendance...and it has proven
to be successful. It ensures that all children's intellectual needs are
met. "
This statement is not borne out by the Pisa Study, the Rütli school and
other "Brennpunkt" schools, school shootings such as the Erfurt one and
the more recent one.
"The families in question have so far not been willing to accept testing
of the students' performance".
In fact most of the families in question have offered the authorities
the opportunity to test their children. The authorities are not
interested in taking up this offer, as all they are interested in is
that the children are sitting behind a desk in a school during school
hours. The Neubronners in Bremen offered the authorities this
opportunity and it was only after massive TV coverage (including an
interview on Stern TV with Gunther Jauch), that the authorities took
them up on this offer.
We are a home educating family in Niedersachsen. In our dealings with
the school authorities we have also stated that we would be happy to
have our children assessed but they have not taken us up on this.
We are foreigners living temporarily in Germany, but the German
authorities will not allow our children the opportunity to be educated
at home in their own language. Yet at the same time, a distance learning
institution
is
accredited by the German government to meet the needs of Germans
overseas who want to be educated, within their own four walls, in their
own language. This is in spite of the fact that the German authorities
insist that compulsory school attendance serves the best interests of
the child. At the very least this is hypocrisy, if not discrimination
against foreigners living temporarily in Germany.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Social Worker's report
I just' received a copy of the school authority's file on us from the lawyer and this report was in it from the social worker who visited us two ago.
Assessment
As far as the undersigned is concerned, the childrens' welfare is not in danger. The house was orderly and clean. The children made a normal impression. The mother is aware of the legal situation concerning compulsory schooling, but maintains that she can best help her children develop in her home. She believes that she is doing something good and therefore has no fear of future consequences. However, the mother does not recognise thereby that dealings with other children and the encouraging of joint activities are peers are part of normal child development. The interactions of the children are restricted to members of their own family. It is doubtful, that Robert could have contact with other children when he does not attend school.
BTW, Robbie was not present when she visited. Earlier in the report she states that he was with friends (which he was), creating a total contradiction. If she thought that the children were limited to interactions within the family, then how could he be with friends? Also she never asked me whether the children had interactions with other children (peers or otherwise). What she is stating here are her own conjectures. In fact, Robbie was, by this time, playing in the local football team (training twice a week, plus matches), going to chess, had just started karate and had at least 2 good friends, whom he saw regularly in the afternoons (boys about his age from the neighbourhood). If she had just asked me, I could have told her.
The comments which she makes are the normal gut reaction of anyone who meets homeschoolers for the first time, but to put them in a report as statements of fact,without checking whether they are based in fact is, in my opinion, at the very least, unprofessional. I am seething at the fact that my children were presented as social outcasts and am reminded of the Rudolph family, who were successfully portrayed by the authorities as isolationists who allowed their children no outside contacts (which was not the case at all).
Assessment
As far as the undersigned is concerned, the childrens' welfare is not in danger. The house was orderly and clean. The children made a normal impression. The mother is aware of the legal situation concerning compulsory schooling, but maintains that she can best help her children develop in her home. She believes that she is doing something good and therefore has no fear of future consequences. However, the mother does not recognise thereby that dealings with other children and the encouraging of joint activities are peers are part of normal child development. The interactions of the children are restricted to members of their own family. It is doubtful, that Robert could have contact with other children when he does not attend school.
BTW, Robbie was not present when she visited. Earlier in the report she states that he was with friends (which he was), creating a total contradiction. If she thought that the children were limited to interactions within the family, then how could he be with friends? Also she never asked me whether the children had interactions with other children (peers or otherwise). What she is stating here are her own conjectures. In fact, Robbie was, by this time, playing in the local football team (training twice a week, plus matches), going to chess, had just started karate and had at least 2 good friends, whom he saw regularly in the afternoons (boys about his age from the neighbourhood). If she had just asked me, I could have told her.
The comments which she makes are the normal gut reaction of anyone who meets homeschoolers for the first time, but to put them in a report as statements of fact,without checking whether they are based in fact is, in my opinion, at the very least, unprofessional. I am seething at the fact that my children were presented as social outcasts and am reminded of the Rudolph family, who were successfully portrayed by the authorities as isolationists who allowed their children no outside contacts (which was not the case at all).
Hypocrisy
We are foreigners living temporarily in Germany, but the German authorities will not allow our children the opportunity to be educated at home in their own language. Yet at the same time, a distance learning institution is accredited by the German government to meet the needs of Germans overseas who want to be educated, within their own four walls, in their own language. This is in spite of the fact that the German authorities insist that compulsory school attendance serves the best interests of the child. At the very least this is hypocrisy, if not discrimination against foreigners living temporarily in Germany.
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