Saturday, February 24, 2007

Situation in Germany

I begin this blog by discussing an issue that has some members of the American home school world concerned. It appears that in Germany there is a law on the books which bans home schooling. This law has been being applied to Christian home school families and, most recently, has been used to remove a 15 year old girl from her home. As a trained historian I was curious and so I followed up the stories -- all of which, I might add, were reported in Christian publications.
The first piece of the puzzle is the law itself. The law referenced is a 1938 Reichstadt law. For the translated text, see the following link:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.verfassungen.de/de/de33-45/schulpflicht38.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2BReichsschulpflichtgesetz)%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLD,GGLD:2003-44,GGLD:en The gist of the law is that education is compulsory. There are exceptions made but those are for children who are physically and mentally incapable.
The next bit of the puzzle that must be understood is that this law was enacted in 1938 -- the year of Krystalnacht. That same year, the Nazis ordered the expulsion of all Jews from non-Jewish parochial schools. Combine that with the compulsory education law and you have the set up. The law, which is still on the books, was a two pronged attack. On the one hand it was meant to create a homogenized society -- the way it is being currently applied in Germany today. On the other, the law made it 'legal' for the police to move in and take Jewish children out of their parents' control.
In modern day Germany, the law has been challenged. It was upheld by the EU courts. The Germans argued that public education was necessary for the good of society -- it creates a homogenized society. Home schooling, especially religiously based home schooling, creates 'micro cultures' which are inimical to the smooth functioning of the whole. The EU courts upheld the German case at least in part, I suspect, because one of the arguments made was that the child in question was not being allowed to socialize with its peers... a necessary step, it is believed, for the child to become a functioning member of society. The parents rather shot themselves in the foot here -- they agreed. They DO NOT WANT their child associating with its peers.
The more immediate concern for American home schoolers is the fact that one of the principals on the EU court who upheld the German position -- and thereby the Hitlerian law -- has since moved to the US and is, or so I understand, functioning in an advisory capacity on public education standards. I will locate and include the pertinent URLs for those who are interested.
It seems to me that this story is a good summation of the fundamental conflict in the public versus home school situation. Public schools are, though many might disagree with me, primarily aimed at creating a homogenous society.... a 'politically correct' society where everyone thinks, acts, dresses alike. Shades of 1984 and Brave New World. There is the assumption that if 'politically correct attitudes' and 'social tolerance' are not mandated, implemented and overseen by the state, people will run amuck and socially inappropriate behavior will result. Sigh.

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