| From the HSLDA E-lert Service: |
< BACK TO ARCHIVE |
| Date: From: Subject: | 9/1/2004 5:08:08 PM Home School Legal Defense Association Persecution of German Homeschoolers Intensifies - Help Needed! |
|
====================================================================== From the HSLDA E-lert Service... ====================================================================== September 1, 2004 Persecution of German Homeschoolers Intensifies - Help Needed! Dear HSLDA members and friends: German homeschoolers need your help now! Although they have experienced rapid growth in the last 6 months with two homeschool conferences and widespread publicity in the press, the persecution has intensified. The homeschool movement in Germany is now at a critical juncture. The United States has been blessed for many years with the freedom to homeschool. Other countries do not have this freedom. If we do not help "the least of these" in other nations, who will help them? Please take a moment to read the paragraphs below and see if you can both pray for and donate to the homeschoolers' cause in Germany. German Family Flees Country to Stop Government from Taking Custody A few weeks ago, a German homeschool family escaped to Central America, just ahead of a judge who wanted to take custody of their school-aged child. A social worker helped the family escape by warning the family of the judge's intent and delaying the paperwork. German Homeschoolers Escape to Austria Another German homeschool family had to flee to Austria. The judge, after being informed that the family had already left (even though he possessed documents including the registration of the child in question at the local school in Austria), went ahead anyway and gave custody of the child to the state. The father of the family told the court appointed official who appeared at their door in Austria that the child was no longer registered in Germany but rather in Austria. The judge then wrote to the family saying that it would immediately take custody of the child if the family were to return to Germany. German Homeschool Family Told by Judge They Do Not Have Rights Another German homeschool family lost a recent court case when the judge ruled that the parents have no rights whatsoever concerning the manner and method of education in government schools. In this case, hard-core pornography was being used to teach the children in their German language course! The judge ruled that the school has the authority to determine what is against the conscience of the parents. The judge also ruled that fundamentalist Christians, who do not want their children to attend the government schools, are not protected by the constitution! More and more families are beginning to flee Germany. Many are in hiding and some fathers work in one state while the family lives in another. We have a German homeschool family in our local church here in Virginia who left Germany because of the hostility to homeschooling. Nonetheless, advancements are continuing as the homeschool movement continues to grow in spite of the persecution. The homeschool legal organization is growing, conferences are being held, the Konrad case is before the European Human Rights Court, many articles are appearing in the press, German homeschool curriculum is being written, and lobbying is taking place in the state of Bavaria to pass a law legalizing homeschooling. But the homeschool legal organization in Germany, School Instruction at Home, is being swamped with families in need of help. If they do not receive some immediate financial support, the homeschool movement in Germany will be stalled and even stamped out. Many homeschoolers in the United States have forgotten the terror of being taken to jail for exercising their God-given responsibility to homeschool. We have been able to legalize homeschooling in all fifty states. We have demonstrated over time that homeschoolers, on the average, perform above average in standardized tests, college entrance examinations, and are successful in college, the military and the workforce. But our freedom to homeschool was not free. Many families had to sacrifice in order to legalize homeschooling in the 1980s and 90s. German homeschoolers are facing this battle right now. It is vital that we in America, who have been given so much, rally around these families and lift up the homeschooling movement in Germany. We are asking Home School Legal Defense Association members to pray for the German homeschool families who are suffering for their decision to homeschool. Additionally, we are asking for families to consider giving financial support for the cause of freedom in Germany. Two years ago HSLDA helped the German homeschoolers start their own legal defense group, Schulunterricht zu Hause. However, it needs support to fund cases, hire full-time help, and promote homeschooling in Germany. You can send donations to the Home School Foundation, earmarked for German homeschoolers. Please go to http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1787 . We will send the donations on to Schulunterricht zu Hause to help with advising homeschoolers, negotiating with school districts, funding cases and appeals, paying fines, and defending the rights of homeschoolers in whatever way necessary. For more information on the homeschooling situation in Germany and history, visit our web site at: http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?ID=1788 Thank you for your prayerful involvement. Sincerely, Chris Klicka Senior Counsel Home School Legal Defense Association ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -> What's the shortest distance between two homeschoolers? HSLDA's elert service! When threats to homeschool freedoms arise, you want to be able to respond. We make it possible. More reasons to join HSLDA... http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp?id=1101 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ====================================================================== The HSLDA E-lert Service is a service of: Home School Legal Defense Association P.O. Box 3000 Purcellville, Virginia 20134 Phone: (540) 338-5600 Fax: (540) 338-2733 Email: info@hslda.org Web: http://www.hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How To Subscribe: - Subscribe to the HSLDA E-lert Service at our website: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp?Process=Subscribe - Or send an email with name and complete mailing address to: subscribe@hslda.org ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscription Information: - You subscribed to the HSLDA E-lert Service as: {{Email}} - To unsubscribe from the HSLDA E-lert Service send an email from the email address you want to unsubscribe to: unsubscribe@hslda.org - To change your email address or make other changes to your subscription, visit the HSLDA E-lert Service account web page at: https://secure.hslda.org/hslda/elert/account.asp ---------------------------------------------------------------------- POSTMASTERS: This message is being sent to the most recent address we have for our subscribers. If this is an invalid email address or you have other problems, please reply to webmaster@hslda.org. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- DISCLAIMER: This is considered a private and confidential message from HSLDA to its bonafide HSLDA E-lert Service subscribers. HSLDA cannot attest to the authenticity of copies posted, forwarded, or sent by any party other than HSLDA. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: Please do not reply or otherwise use this email address; hslda@hslda.org is for broadcast purposes only and is not intended to receive incoming messages. We cannot reply to any email sent to this address. If you have comments or questions, please send email to info@hslda.org or call HSLDA at 540-338-5600. HSLDA members can also email staff directly through the Members website at http://members.hslda.org/contact.asp. Thank you for your cooperation. ====================================================================== | |
