German Homeschoolers

Jiro

Jiro

If You Know What I Mean
Premium Member
Joined
Apr 27, 2007
Messages
69,284
Reaction score
142
How German Homeschoolers Won Asylum in the U.S.
Uwe and Hannelore Romeike are not like other asylum seekers, people fleeing war or torture in places like Afghanistan, Iraq or Somalia. They're music teachers from a village in southern Germany. And yet, in what appears to be the first case of its kind, the couple and their five children were granted asylum in the U.S. last week by an immigration judge who ruled that they had a "well-founded fear of persecution" in their home country for engaging in what has become a popular albeit somewhat controversial American practice — homeschooling their children.

The Romeikes, who are Evangelical Christians, took their three eldest children out of school in the town of Bissingen in 2006 because they were concerned about the impact the government-approved curriculum and the public-school environment would have on their social development. "Over the past 10 to 20 years, the curriculum in public schools in Germany has been more and more against Christian values, and my eldest children were having problems with violence, bullying and peer pressure. It's important for parents to have the freedom to choose the way their children can be taught," Uwe Romeike said in a statement provided by the couple's attorney, Michael Donnelly of the Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). (See pictures of East Germany making light of its past.)

But here's the problem: in Germany it's compulsory for children to attend school, and the Romeikes soon found themselves on the wrong side of the law. Local authorities slapped the couple with a $10,000 fine, and police even took their children to school when the Romeikes refused to send them. Fearing that they could lose custody of their kids or even be put in jail, the Romeikes fled to the U.S. in 2008, looking for a community where they could educate their kids as they saw fit.

That's exactly what they found in Morristown, Tenn., a town of about 27,000 deep in the Bible Belt. Donnelly says the Romeikes flourished in the environment, becoming "very disciplined" teachers tackling subjects like math, history and social science with the help of textbooks and other teaching materials, all in accordance with state law. The couple also joined a local group that organizes activities and field trips for homeschooled children in the area. Once they were settled in their new community, they applied for asylum in the U.S., claiming they'd be persecuted if they were sent back to Germany. (See pictures of Detroit school kids' dreams of the future.)

Memphis judge Lawrence Burman's ruling sparked outrage in Germany. Authorities in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where the Romeikes had lived, angrily dismissed suggestions that the couple had been persecuted. "We have compulsory schooling, and this law applies to everyone, including the Romeikes," says Thomas Hilsenbeck, a spokesman for the state Education Ministry. "If parents don't want to send their children to a public school, they can send them to alternative private schools."

While there is a thriving homeschool movement in the U.S. — some 2 million children are now taught at home, or about 4% of the total school-age population, according to HSLDA — it is still a very new concept in Germany. According to the German media, there are only between 500 and 1,000 families in the country who homeschool their children — most in violation of the law. According to the compulsory-education statute introduced by the Prussians in the 18th century, all children must attend school from the ages of 6 to 16. And it's traditionally been viewed as a child's right rather than an obligation. "Compulsory schooling is one of the greatest social achievements of our time," Josef Kraus, head of the German Teachers' Association, tells TIME. "This law protects children." (Read a TIME cover story on how to save America's schools.)

Kraus strongly disagrees with the asylum ruling, saying it "treated Germany like a banana republic instead of a democratic country with its own laws." He also argues that homeschooling deprives children of important social lessons. "No parental couple can offer a breadth of education and replace experienced teachers. Kids also lose contact with their peers," he says. Advocates of homeschooling, however, argue that children benefit from tailored one-on-one instruction and that they're able to learn at their own pace without distractions in the classroom. The HSLDA goes one step further, saying research suggests that homeschooled children score significantly higher than their peers on standardized achievement tests. (See pictures of the college dorm.)

The ruling is sure to ignite passions on both sides of the debate — and may spur other parents around the world to follow the Romeikes' lead. If this happens, the U.S. could see a flood of a new type of refugees —educational asylum seekers.
Click to expand...

What do you think? Debate away.
 
IMO - I'm glad that Romeike parents were able to do what they want - homeschooling their kids as long as it meets the legal requirements. I was very irked about the way German making compulsory school attendance as an absolute law. They believed that students must attend the schools because of "social lesson" :roll:

I disagree with handful of German laws because they think they know what's best for us. :roll:
 
I think homeschooling is great as long as they get the basics and still have other places to develop social skills with kids their age.
 
Hubby and I believe homeschooling is wonderful.

Children can still socialise with other children; homeschooling isn't for everyone. This is why we debated about this.

Some are for socialising whereas some prefer to do one to one.
 
What about both parents have to work at the jobs? :hmm:
 
Interesting. I think that homeschooling can probably be very beneficial to kids whose parents are dedicated. A lot of the kids who are homeschooled are often much more advanced than those who are not.

I do think, however, that some parents take their kids out of school for the wrong reasons. Taking kids out of school for bullying, peer pressure, etc. would not help. Social interaction is important, and a lot of dedicated homeschoolers ensure their children get that social interaction.

Notice how I've made mention of "dedicated" homeschoolers. I met one woman who took her daughter out of school due to bullying. The issue was that she didn't actually physically teach her daughter herself (probably because she didn't have the knowledge to do so). Her daughter would often be given books to work out of during the day and would be left alone while her mother went on the computer all day. :roll:
 
One of my friend's parents decided to do homeschool because the kids at her school were picking on her way too much because the way she looks. It got to the point that she didn't want to go to school at all and her grades were failing.

actually she drop out of school and went for GED with her parent's help. But she referred this as homeschooling.
 
Phillips said:
What about both parents have to work at the jobs? :hmm:
Click to expand...

Several possibilities -

1. father works during daytime while mother educates the kids. father gets home and take over while mother goes off to do part-time evening job.

2. both have businesses that they can do at home

3. it isn't unheard of grandparents financially supporting them so that the parents don't have to work. my neighbor is like that. the wife is very pretty.....

4. etc.
 
I do think that it is sad that in some countries, as soon as your child born , it automatically belong to the gov't and the gov't have a say so on how a child should be raised. I think as long as the parents meet the children's needs (emotionally, physically, socially, and educationally), they should be fine with homeschooling. And as long as the parents don't teach their children violence. But that type of teaching can be done rather they are in mainstream school or not. Because one of guy I know have alot of racial beliefs and he attended same public school as I do. The school didn't do him do a thing because what he was taught at home(actually, in some cases, mainstream school make them stronger in their beliefs because they know how to handle peer pressure and unpopular beliefs)... so that's why I don't have fear of what parents are teaching as long it isn't violence Unless you want the gov't to take away every children from parents because they can't trust them to teach them the appropriate values and tolerance at home.
 
Last edited:
I find it funny that a lot of people continue to have a stereotype about homeschooling that kids are completely isolated from everything with no friends and that they are brainwashed. Homeschooling concept has changed a lot over past several years. There are laws in place for homeschooling. There are organizations and clubs for homeschooled kids that's as good as public school. Kudos to them who did far far more than regular public school students.

I recall having a good debate or conversation with an ADer last year but he hasn't been around for a while. He is homeschooled and he demonstrated a level of intelligence that surprises me. I cannot remember his AD name :mad2:
 
yes, at first it was hard to homeschool because it used to be illegal to homeschool. Now as it gain more popularity, they have more resources.


I do remember reading a SciFi story at school where people use to believe that every kids will have school at home and have their very own virtual 3-D teacher.
 
Yup, that reason because I dislike law system in Germany.

I'm proud that I live in US.
 
On the other hand, with this case we're talking about conservative Evalingcal Christians.
I'd take whatever HLDA says with a grain of salt. I've read some of their magazines and trust me.......they are VERY anti public schools even in the Bible Belt. These are the type of people who get upset if homosexuality is even MENTIONED! (ie the types of Christians who ban books like Heather Has Two Mommies)
Besides, weren't there Christian schools that they could have attended as an alternative?
And yes, good point Philips. With homeschooling it's usually the MOM who gets stuck with educating the kids.
I'm not against homeschooling. Hannah was unschooled, and she's one of the smartest women I know. I think it can be a good option with the right set up and the right parents....but you can say that about almost every and any educational set up.
I
find it funny that a lot of people continue to have a stereotype about homeschooling that kids are completely isolated from everything with no friends and that they are brainwashed.
Click to expand...
Jiro, that's b/c the old homeschoolers were the very conservative Christian types.
Kids can still be extremely isolated (I used to lurk at a conservative christian board for kids, where almost everyone was homeschooled, and there were a lot of kids who were very isolated) and still brainwashed.
 
you know, people always tell us if we don't like it, then send your kids to a private school/homeschool.... and now they tell us NOT to do those things?
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, with this case we're talking about conservative Evalingcal Christians.
Click to expand...
Point?

I'd take whatever HLDA says with a grain of salt. I've read some of their magazines and trust me.......they are VERY anti public schools even in the Bible Belt.
Click to expand...
Point?

These are the type of people who get upset if homosexuality is even MENTIONED! (ie the types of Christians who ban books like Heather Has Two Mommies)
Click to expand...
I don't think they banned any books--they don't have that governmental power. They can support restricting the book from young children's reading lists. I don't see anything wrong with that. Usually though, Christian families can't control what's used in government schools so that's why they have to seek alternative ways to educate their children.

Besides, weren't there Christian schools that they could have attended as an alternative?
Click to expand...
Were there? Probably not.

And yes, good point Philips. With homeschooling it's usually the MOM who gets stuck with educating the kids.
Click to expand...
Stuck? If any parent feels they are "stuck" with educating the children, then that parent's heart is not in it. None of the parents I know who home school speak of it as being "stuck" with educating.

Jiro, that's b/c the old homeschoolers were the very conservative Christian types.
Click to expand...
Nothing wrong with very conservative Christians, although I'm not sure about the "types" part.

Kids can still be extremely isolated (I used to lurk at a conservative christian board for kids, where almost everyone was homeschooled, and there were a lot of kids who were very isolated) and still brainwashed.
Click to expand...
In what things were they "brainwashed?"
 
deafdyke said:
On the other hand, with this case we're talking about conservative Evalingcal Christians.
I'd take whatever HLDA says with a grain of salt. I've read some of their magazines and trust me.......they are VERY anti public schools even in the Bible Belt. These are the type of people who get upset if homosexuality is even MENTIONED! (ie the types of Christians who ban books like Heather Has Two Mommies)
Besides, weren't there Christian schools that they could have attended as an alternative?
And yes, good point Philips. With homeschooling it's usually the MOM who gets stuck with educating the kids.
I'm not against homeschooling. Hannah was unschooled, and she's one of the smartest women I know. I think it can be a good option with the right set up and the right parents....but you can say that about almost every and any educational set up.
I
Jiro, that's b/c the old homeschoolers were the very conservative Christian types.
Kids can still be extremely isolated (I used to lurk at a conservative christian board for kids, where almost everyone was homeschooled, and there were a lot of kids who were very isolated) and still brainwashed.
Click to expand...

well - I clearly understand what you're saying but I'm against your belief because your belief is against the American way. The very essence of The Constitution is to allow free thinking, free choice, free speech in this free country.

We already have a specific law on homeschooling that the kids must be educated to a certain point. Beyond that - it's up to them on what to believe in and how they think. If they choose to believe in science, that's fine. If they choose to believe in creation, that's fine. I do not want entire people to think like I do or believe in what I do... otherwise this country would be a government-controlled state with a limited human rights who would imprison free thinkers.

it's up to you on what to expose to your kids and what to teach to your kids. It's nobody's business to tell me what I can do with my children as long as I'm not breaking any law.
 
I don´t support homeschooling for several reasons. I made many posts in other debate thread over homeschool a few years ago.
 
Liebling:-))) said:
I don´t support homeschooling for several reasons. I made many posts in other debate thread over homeschool a few years ago.
Click to expand...

welcome back! :wave:

a few years ago? that's quite a while back. There are a lot of new ADers now so better start again! :)
 
Back
Top