It's A Small World After All - Homeschool Blogger

Anyone in Columbia?

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 21:15:00 -0600

Hi, this is Phyllis (formerly in Russia, now in Ukraine). I have an internet friend who is looking for a homeschool group in Bogota. Does anyone know how to find one? (I also took the liberty of updating the list in the sidebar. Anyone else want to be added?)

Swiss Homeschoolers seeking help

Mon, 7 Jul 2008 01:02:00 -0500

Subject: Swiss homeschoolers seeking help
Date: Tue, 01 Jul 2008 00:38:12 -0000

Adliswil, Switzerland
June 21,2008

Please note: This letter is written in the international language of
English for convenience sake.

Dear Home Education Supporter,

While many families throughout the world sing the praises of
family-centered education, at the same time many policy-makers all
over the world are endeavoring, with all the power and resources at
their disposal, to curtail this educational option. Partly, this seems
to be a factor of fear of loss of control, partly ideological
rigidness, and partly ignorance of what actually is involved in
parent-directed private instruction. In Switzerland, in most Cantons,
and now also where we live in the Canton of Zürich, there is a
concerted effort -partly resulting from many E.U pressures for
conformity of Switzerland ? to promulgate these restrictions. They are
also being actively contested and resisted by some home educating
families and a few like-minded supporters. We are writing to you to to
ask you to assist us as outlined below.

First, for your information, I would briefly outline the conflict
here. Several years ago the Canton of Zürich proposed a sweeping
revision of the school system and educational laws, which the people
voted down. After some cosmetic revisions and heavy promotion by the
State, the revisions were presented again. As the education system has
been rapidly deteriorating and the changes promised improvement, the
measure passed. Most of the populace would say there have been no
improvements subsequently. In one small section of many others in the
new law, a provision was inserted that no "private instruction"
(meaning tutoring or parental teaching) would be permitted without the
teaching person having a "finished teacher's education." For all
practical purposes the education department intends to ban home
education (though a few very restricted exceptions are allowed, only
by the grace of a bureaucratic choice). No recognition is taken of
inherent prerogatives of parents, or of separate spheres of authority
for Family and State. This provision would make all the children wards
of the State and parents as mere breeders and feeders (at their own
expense) for the State's raw materials. Naturally, some of us are
resisting this.

The problem is intensified in that the restrictions of the new law go
into effect in mid-August of this year, and thus far all of our
considerable efforts to reason, work out acceptable solutions, and
protest, have fallen on totally deaf ears. We are compelled now to
intensify our position. One way you can help, if you will be so
obliging, is to verbalize support for the concept of alternative
education opportunities, and to help dispel the ignorance surrounding
the concept of home education.

It would be helpful if you could do any of the following:

Write a letter (physical, not electronic) saying you are aware of the
conflict regarding home education in the Canton of Zürich, that you
will be following its progress, that you will inform your
group/subscribers/members of the situation, that you have always
understood Switzerland to be a land of freedom and self-responsible
people and have admired the country for those qualities, and that you
hope to see the situation resolved to protect the natural prerogatives
of parents to educate their children in the demonstrably beneficial
way of home education.

Inform as many people as you can of the situation to do likewise.

Include with your letter any enlightening materials regarding home
education. This might include the following:

(for magazine editors) a sample issue

(for group leaders) a summary of your group's purpose and
accomplishments (especially in legal struggles)

(For teaching materials suppliers) a copy of your catalogue

(For researchers) a pertinent research paper.

For the most beneficial effect, we would ask you to observe the
following :

Keep your letter short

Maintain a positive tone with no threats of punitive action

Try not to introduce religious principals, as we might then be labeled
as sectarians and become further restricted.

Mostly emphasize that you are aware of and are watching the situation
(the Swiss are very conscious of their image)

Send the letter and materials as soon as possible, because this is all
coming to a head now and will be decided (to the point of legal
action, exile, or civil disobedience for some families) in the next
couple of weeks.

Perhaps you could also mention that parent-led education is not a
recent American phenomenon (a negative perception here), but rather a
human universal throughout history and throughout the world.

The letters may be written in English, German or French.

The letters and supporting materials can be mailed to the following
people:

Frau Regierungsrätin Regina Aeppli (She is the head of the education
department for the canton of Zürich and is against home education)

Bildungsdirektion Kanton Zürich
Walchestrasse 21
8090 Zürich
Switzerland

Frau Gabriela Winkler (She is a legislator, who is a supporter of home
education and in need of information)
Birchweg 13
CH-8154 Zürich-Oberglatt
Switzerland

To any who sent supportive letters in our earlier struggles, we very
much thank you, and hope you will stand with us again.

If anyone would like to be reimbursed for posting of packets, please
let us know, but please also send them as soon as possible.

If you do send a letter of support, would you also tell us by e-mail,
so we can be prepared for possible reactions.

The undersigned writing to you are home-educating parents in the
Canton of Zürich. We will be happy to answer any questions. Thank you
for any assistance you can give us.

Yours truly,
Sigmund and Sarah Bachmann

Hello from AmaniS

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:28:00 -0500

I am going to try to get this blog going again.
If you have a blog, you wanted listed on the side just post a comment.
You don't have to have a blog on HSB to be listed.

updates at my blog about Melissa, etc.

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:29:00 -0500

I'm kind of getting the impression that this isn't a very well-visited blog, which I think is a pity...is there another international blog somewhere that is active?

I just wanted to say that Melissa Busekros has been at home for a week now, and she and her family were at the homeschool conference our family also attended this weekend. Anyone interested can read more at my blog...

More trouble in Germany

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 05:44:00 -0600

Please go read Sheila's blog! I just saw this.
--Phyllis in Russia

Homeschooling in Taiwan

Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:26:00 -0600

This was <a href="http://homeschoolblogger.com/aroundtheworld/225772/#c417331">posted as a comment</a>, but I thought it was so interesting that it deserves a place out here:
<i>�I read here sometimes and enjoy reading about homeschooling in other countries. Here in Taiwan, it has been legal since 1999, but each county/city has their own laws. We live in one of the poorest counties, therefore homeschooling isn't a big thing. Actually, I got to discuss the beginning of homeschooling registration with a new family!! that makes 5 families and 6 kids registered so far. We are the only Christian family though, that can be discouraging at times. We have freedom, but alot of annoyances like: writing a weekly lesson plan for a semester, in home evaluations by a school committee (last time we had 13 adults in our house, talk about pressure), a meeting at the board of education to review the evaluation, meetings to register for the next semester and meetings to review the next semesters lesson plans. NOT to mention the fact that our children (though not forced by law) are "required" to take the midterms and finals. Though I pushed hard for 1st thru 3rd grade my son not going to school to take the tests, we'll see how 4th and up goes. But, this is a small price to pay for the freedom to homeschool. We truly are thankful for this privildege.
Deana in Taitung Taiwan�</i>

Who else wants to share?
--Phyllis in Russia

update on recently jailed parents in Germany

Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:20:00 -0500

Just to let you know that I've posted an update at my blog about the parents who were jailed recently.

Is anyone else here? I'd like to hear about homeschooling in non-U.S. parts of the world other than Germany... (Of course, if there's anyone else out there who IS in Germany, please, please write to me!)

--Sheila in Germany

Sheila in Germany update

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:46:00 -0500

I just added a short update to my blog, but the real reason I'm writing here is to show off that I now know what that little globe and links icon is for! LOL (Thank you to the several people who explained it! I'm so tech-challenged, that it took a combination of all of them for me to finally understand what everyone was talking about!)

addresses of jailed homeschooling parents

Sat, 7 Oct 2006 11:21:00 -0500

Anyone who would like to write a real-life letter (i.e. paper in an envelope, with stamps!) to encourage some parents who have been jailed for refusing to pay fines for homeschooling, a father was jailed on Thursday (Oct. 5) for 13 days and a mother yesterday (Oct. 6) for 10 days. Their addresses are:

Mr. Waldemar Block

JVA Hamm

Bismarckstr. 5

59065 Hamm

GERMANY

and

Mrs. Olga Block

JVA Heidelberg

Oberer Fauler Pelz 1

69117 Heidelberg

GERMANY

Mrs. Block is the sister-in-law of Mr. Block--the state has so far refrained from jailing both parents at the same time. For more details, check out my blog (www.homeschoolblogger.com/sheilalange/), and I'd love to hear from anyone who does write to them. Thank you!

Hi from Germany!

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 12:00:00 -0500

First of all, thanks to all those who are publicizing the situation here in Germany, and thank you to all those who are praying! I've appreciated the encouraging comments and e-mails I've received. :-)

The most recent things I posted were a short history of the compulsory school attendance laws in Germany, and the fact that I have the address for the homeschooling mother of 12 who was jailed a couple of weeks ago, if anyone would like to write to her (in any language!) to encourage her. Please keep checking my blog for updates and feel free to spread the information I share there and a link to my blog! Thanks!

--Sheila in Germany