According to the courts, homeschooling is not legal for German families. What can German parents do? Learn more on today’s Home School Heartbeat with HSLDA Chairman Mike Farris.
Mike Farris:
With me again today is HSLDA Attorney Mike Donnelly, who is our specialist on the German homeschool situation. Mike, what is HSLDA doing for German homeschoolers and what can our listeners do to support them as well?
Mike Donnelly:
Mike, HSLDA has developed a three-pronged strategy to try to help our German brothers and sisters. We’re focusing our resources in three areas: legal, political and humanitarian. Because the courts have decided against homeschooling so unanimously in Germany, a political solution is necessary. As a federal republic, the states in Germany have authority over education law. New laws therefore must be passed in these states to protect homeschoolers from this terrible persecution.
In America, homeschoolers are a political force to be reckoned with, and therefore legislators in many states are held in check from passing bad homeschool laws because of this. But because there are so few homeschoolers in Germany, more than just domestic pressure is needed. So HSLDA is working with homeschool organizations all over the world to coordinate an effort to get free and democratic governments to call on Germany to change the way homeschoolers are treated to change the laws.
So in partnership with organizations like the Alliance Defense Fund, we continue to fund court cases in the hope that with persistence may come success. And, perhaps the most important thing your listeners could do would be to pray for God's protection for these families.
Farris:
Mike, thanks so much. Listeners, for the latest developments in Germany, go to www.hslda.org/Germany. I’m Mike Farris.