This is an easy post- there's no such thing! Nope. Not allowed. Verboten. We had the same response when traveling in Ireland last year during school times as we do here. People are shocked that we're 'allowed' to take the kids out of school. It is not allowed here, nor in Ireland. Once I say, "Oh, they're homeschooled" they sort of relax and say, "Oh, so you've hired a private teacher that comes to your home, then." Nope, I say. "They just learn in context to their lives."
It is truly one of the rare times I really feel boldly, proudly American as I say, "The states were founded upon the ideals of freedom. Parents have more rights over their children than the government does." Although those rights are constantly up for vote and it is a bit of a struggle to keep them- up until now we still have that right. How certain states have managed to outlaw nursing in public is still too odd to fathom. Homebirth is also technically illegal in some states but there are still ways of getting around it. All that being said, we still tend to have more freedom in the States than many other people in other parts of the world do.
This has truly astounded most Europeans I've met. It happened again today at the park. A woman came over and said with a bewildered smile, "Your children tell me they don't go to school? Is this correct? They said, 'homeschool?' Please tell me more." Unfortunate woman for asking me. It's like asking the Pope about Catholicism. This woman was so thoroughly intrigued that I think she may end up moving to the states for this bit of freedom. She said, "I've always considered my education a complete waste of time and really a hinderance for my interests. I just never heard of such a thing as being able to school your children at home and not participate in the school system. This is incredible!" She's an Opera singer and said socially school was a nightmare for her.
The government is so strict on children attending school that my cousin tells me there's been a recent crackdown on parents who try to sneak away a day early before vacation and police are actually stationed at the airports disallowing parents to get on planes a day early. Clearly, that would not work for me!
Now of course the downside to all of this alleged freedom is that parents are also still able to hit their children in our country. Women finally made it from 'property' status to 'human,' and hitting a wife became illegal but children are still not quite 'human' in our country. The following little film is a nice reminder of where we in the States fall in regards to human rights. We're a young country and still have quite a bit to learn from our elders. Even though our constitution is a beautiful thing and reading it makes me cry every time- we still have a bit of a challenge figure out what a human is. If that human is young, they don't quite count, if they have a particular sexual orientation that lessens their rights. Even the authors of that beautiful document had slaves. It's so weird how certain blind spots can be so BIG! I'm wondering as always, where are mine?
Since this video was made, 5 more countries have made corporal punishment of children illegal, they are: Spain, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Uruguay and Nepal. Meanwhile, 25 more countries are getting ready to prohibit corporal punishment, and this will soon bring the total to 50 - around a quarter of the world's nations. When will the US follow suit? How many years will we be behind? For a country that prides itself in freedom of religion I'm always amazed at how much old (misguided) Christian beliefs still dominate our country's policies. That one single passage from the Bible about sparing the rod and spoiling the child is what the US clings to for the justification of hitting children. One line that has so oft been debated and questioned. One that even Bible scholars have reasoned means that 'gentle guidance' is what was meant since the word for 'rod' was translated from 'staff,' which is what sheep herders used to guide their sheep. They did not strike their sheep with this staff but placed it down as a way of guidance.
And one for the humor files...sort of.
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homeschooling in Germany
This is an easy post- there's no such thing! Nope. Not allowed. Verboten. We had the same response when traveling in Ireland last year during school times as we do here. People are shocked that we're 'allowed' to take the kids out of school. It is not allowed here, nor in Ireland. Once I say, "Oh, they're homeschooled" they sort of relax and say, "Oh, so you've hired a private teacher that comes to your home, then." Nope, I say. "They just learn in context to their lives."
It is truly one of the rare times I really feel boldly, proudly American as I say, "The states were founded upon the ideals of freedom. Parents have more rights over their children than the government does." Although those rights are constantly up for vote and it is a bit of a struggle to keep them- up until now we still have that right. How certain states have managed to outlaw nursing in public is still too odd to fathom. Homebirth is also technically illegal in some states but there are still ways of getting around it. All that being said, we still tend to have more freedom in the States than many other people in other parts of the world do.
This has truly astounded most Europeans I've met. It happened again today at the park. A woman came over and said with a bewildered smile, "Your children tell me they don't go to school? Is this correct? They said, 'homeschool?' Please tell me more." Unfortunate woman for asking me. It's like asking the Pope about Catholicism. This woman was so thoroughly intrigued that I think she may end up moving to the states for this bit of freedom. She said, "I've always considered my education a complete waste of time and really a hinderance for my interests. I just never heard of such a thing as being able to school your children at home and not participate in the school system. This is incredible!" She's an Opera singer and said socially school was a nightmare for her.
The government is so strict on children attending school that my cousin tells me there's been a recent crackdown on parents who try to sneak away a day early before vacation and police are actually stationed at the airports disallowing parents to get on planes a day early. Clearly, that would not work for me!
Now of course the downside to all of this alleged freedom is that parents are also still able to hit their children in our country. Women finally made it from 'property' status to 'human,' and hitting a wife became illegal but children are still not quite 'human' in our country. The following little film is a nice reminder of where we in the States fall in regards to human rights. We're a young country and still have quite a bit to learn from our elders. Even though our constitution is a beautiful thing and reading it makes me cry every time- we still have a bit of a challenge figure out what a human is. If that human is young, they don't quite count, if they have a particular sexual orientation that lessens their rights. Even the authors of that beautiful document had slaves. It's so weird how certain blind spots can be so BIG! I'm wondering as always, where are mine?
Since this video was made, 5 more countries have made corporal punishment of children illegal, they are: Spain, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Uruguay and Nepal. Meanwhile, 25 more countries are getting ready to prohibit corporal punishment, and this will soon bring the total to 50 - around a quarter of the world's nations. When will the US follow suit? How many years will we be behind? For a country that prides itself in freedom of religion I'm always amazed at how much old (misguided) Christian beliefs still dominate our country's policies. That one single passage from the Bible about sparing the rod and spoiling the child is what the US clings to for the justification of hitting children. One line that has so oft been debated and questioned. One that even Bible scholars have reasoned means that 'gentle guidance' is what was meant since the word for 'rod' was translated from 'staff,' which is what sheep herders used to guide their sheep. They did not strike their sheep with this staff but placed it down as a way of guidance.
