Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

In 2010, well-known news magazine The Economist ranked Sweden number four in the world in their Democracy Index. But 2010 also saw a change in Sweden that was not good news for freedom. Get the story on today’s Home School Heartbeat, with host Mike Farris.

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Mike Farris:
I’m joined again today by Mike Donnelly, HSLDA Director of International Relations. Mike, last time you explained that until the last few years, parents could apply to local authorities for permission to homeschool in Sweden—and they usually got it. So what changed?

Mike Donnelly:
Mike, Swedish politicians engaged in a comprehensive rewrite of Swedish educational law in the last several years, which changed the homeschooling section of the law, as well, to make it possible to homeschool only under exceptional circumstances. The Swedish parliament has also made it easier for authorities to pursue criminal sanctions against parents who don’t get permission but still homeschool their children.

Now, before this law change in 2010, HSLDA and Swedish homeschoolers did oppose it and it was not possible to criminally prosecute parents at that time. Even before this proposal was acted on, however, local educational authorities began to take their cues and deny or ignore applications from homeschooling families. Although there was some sympathy for homeschooling families in the Swedish parliament, for political reasons, there was no way to get the section of the law changed before it came up for a vote.

Since then, Mike, homeschoolers have been fleeing the country under pressure from exorbitant fines and investigations from social services agencies that inspire terror in Swedish families, because they have almost unfettered power to take children in Sweden. Sweden is really becoming a Germany in the homeschooling area.

Mike Farris:
Freedom can be lost very quickly. I’m Mike Farris.