The Tyranny of Germany's Education Authorities
I recently read an article on this page at the Home School Legal Defense Association website, which began with the following words:
"Seven homeschool families in Northwest Germany are being forced to enroll their children in public school. The Paderborn County school board has levied fines against these families and ordered the children to attend school by Monday, January 10, or the police will forcibly take them to school. Any resistance by the parents will result in the removal of these thirteen elementary age children from their homes and into state custody!"
After reading the article, I sent an e-mail to the German embassy in which I quoted the words above, briefy expressed my displeasure and asked for an explanation. After a day or two, I received the following response from Thomas Wriessnig, the head of the Cultural Department at the German Embassy:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your e-mail concerning mandatory school attendance in Germany.
In Germany, the laws on mandatory school attendance are based on the principle of the government's traditional responsibility for providing education for the people. Mandatory school attendance was first introduced in Germany in 1919 under the constitution of the Weimar Republic to guarantee education for all, especially socially disadvantaged families. Then and now, equality is seen as an important democratic ideal. You may be aware of the fact that schooling in Germany is generally free of charge.
Article 7 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (German constitution) places the entire school system under the supervision of the government and ensures that the government makes education available to every citizen. Homeschooling may be equally effective in terms of testscores. It is important to keep in mind, however, that school teaches not only knowledge but also social conduct. Daily contact with other students from all walks of life promotes tolerance, encourages dialogue among people of different beliefs and cultures, and helps students to become responsible citizens.
The public has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole. If we are to achieve integration, not only must the majority of the population prevent the ostracization of religious minorities or minorities with different worldviews, but minorities must also remain open and engage in dialogue with those who think differently or share different beliefs. Such a dialogue with minorities is not only necessary but also enriches an open, pluralistic society.
It goes without saying that parents play an important role in the education of their children. They can and should pass on their values to their children. In this respect, mandatory school attendance should be seen not as an obstacle but as a complement. Religious conflict is prevented under the Basic Law, where the right to establish private schools is guaranteed. In addition, religion is not a mandatory subject at public schools; however, it is offered to those who decide to select it as a subject.
I hope this explanation is helpful to you in better understanding the German system of school attendance.
Thank you for your interest. For further information about Germany please subscribe to our free web new service which you can find on www.germany.info.
Sincerely,
Thomas Wriessnig
Head of Cultural Department
German Embassy
The following is my reply to Mr. Wriessnig. My words are highlighted in blue for contrast:
>Homeschooling may be equally effective in terms of test scores. It is important to keep in mind, however, that school teaches not only knowledge but also social conduct.
I understand that school teaches social conduct as well as knowledge. But what if the Christian parents of these children don't want them to be exposed and influenced by the social conduct of non-Christians? Who are you and your fellow government officials to say that their children must be?
>Daily contact with other students from all walks of life promotes tolerance, encourages dialogue among people of different beliefs and cultures, and helps students to become responsible citizens.
What if the parents of these children don't share your government's values of "tolerance" (whatever you mean by that)? And what if their parents don't want them exposed to different beliefs and cultures until they have nurtured them in their own faith? The truth is that while your government is pretending to promote tolerance, it is being very intolerant and trampling on the God-given rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit.
>The public has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole.
In other words, the rights of the individual must be subjugated to make him conform to the society as a whole, because the governing powers are afraid that allowing individual liberty might result in the development of "parallel religious societies" that threaten the stability of the secular state.
>If we are to achieve integration, not only must the majority of the population prevent the ostracization of religious minorities or minorities with different world views, but minorities must also remain open and engage in dialogue with those who think differently or share different beliefs. Such a dialogue with minorities is not only necessary but also enriches an open, pluralistic society.
And what if not everyone in Germany shares your goal of achieving religious integration? Does that mean that you and your government have the right to force them to integrate? And is it logical to think that minorities cannot engage in dialogue just because their children don't go to the state-controlled schools?
>It goes without saying that parents play an important role in the education of their children. They can and should pass on their values to their children. In this respect, mandatory school attendance should be seen not as an obstacle but as a complement.
Obviously, some parents in Germany believe that public school attendance will be an obstacle to properly raising their children as Christians. Otherwise, they would not have tried to homeschool them. And who are you and your bureaucrat friends to say that they are wrong for doing that? It is quite arrogant for you to think that you know best what is right for everyone in Germany.
>Religious conflict is prevented under the Basic Law, where the right to establish private schools is guaranteed.
I suppose that is a good thing. But what about people who cannot afford to send their children to private schools? Why are they not free to homeschool? And are the private schools allowed to develop their own curriculums based on their worldview or do their curriculums also have to conform to meet your government's goals of a pluralistic and religiously integrated society?
>In addition, religion is not a mandatory subject at public schools; however, it is offered to those who decide to select it as a subject.
Religion is a mandatory subject in all facets of education. If teachers are expressing ideas about what is right and what is wrong, and the origins of the universe and all things therein, then they are teaching religion. And an education which fails to glorify God as the creator and maintainer of all things is not a neutral education, it is an evil education.
>I hope this explanation is helpful to you in better understanding the German system of school attendance.
Yes, it does help me to understand. And it also gives me one more reason to be thankful that God put me in the USA and not in Europe. What you have in modern Germany is not freedom.
"Seven homeschool families in Northwest Germany are being forced to enroll their children in public school. The Paderborn County school board has levied fines against these families and ordered the children to attend school by Monday, January 10, or the police will forcibly take them to school. Any resistance by the parents will result in the removal of these thirteen elementary age children from their homes and into state custody!"
After reading the article, I sent an e-mail to the German embassy in which I quoted the words above, briefy expressed my displeasure and asked for an explanation. After a day or two, I received the following response from Thomas Wriessnig, the head of the Cultural Department at the German Embassy:
Dear Sir/Madam,
Thank you for your e-mail concerning mandatory school attendance in Germany.
In Germany, the laws on mandatory school attendance are based on the principle of the government's traditional responsibility for providing education for the people. Mandatory school attendance was first introduced in Germany in 1919 under the constitution of the Weimar Republic to guarantee education for all, especially socially disadvantaged families. Then and now, equality is seen as an important democratic ideal. You may be aware of the fact that schooling in Germany is generally free of charge.
Article 7 of the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany (German constitution) places the entire school system under the supervision of the government and ensures that the government makes education available to every citizen. Homeschooling may be equally effective in terms of testscores. It is important to keep in mind, however, that school teaches not only knowledge but also social conduct. Daily contact with other students from all walks of life promotes tolerance, encourages dialogue among people of different beliefs and cultures, and helps students to become responsible citizens.
The public has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole. If we are to achieve integration, not only must the majority of the population prevent the ostracization of religious minorities or minorities with different worldviews, but minorities must also remain open and engage in dialogue with those who think differently or share different beliefs. Such a dialogue with minorities is not only necessary but also enriches an open, pluralistic society.
It goes without saying that parents play an important role in the education of their children. They can and should pass on their values to their children. In this respect, mandatory school attendance should be seen not as an obstacle but as a complement. Religious conflict is prevented under the Basic Law, where the right to establish private schools is guaranteed. In addition, religion is not a mandatory subject at public schools; however, it is offered to those who decide to select it as a subject.
I hope this explanation is helpful to you in better understanding the German system of school attendance.
Thank you for your interest. For further information about Germany please subscribe to our free web new service which you can find on www.germany.info.
Sincerely,
Thomas Wriessnig
Head of Cultural Department
German Embassy
The following is my reply to Mr. Wriessnig. My words are highlighted in blue for contrast:
>Homeschooling may be equally effective in terms of test scores. It is important to keep in mind, however, that school teaches not only knowledge but also social conduct.
I understand that school teaches social conduct as well as knowledge. But what if the Christian parents of these children don't want them to be exposed and influenced by the social conduct of non-Christians? Who are you and your fellow government officials to say that their children must be?
>Daily contact with other students from all walks of life promotes tolerance, encourages dialogue among people of different beliefs and cultures, and helps students to become responsible citizens.
What if the parents of these children don't share your government's values of "tolerance" (whatever you mean by that)? And what if their parents don't want them exposed to different beliefs and cultures until they have nurtured them in their own faith? The truth is that while your government is pretending to promote tolerance, it is being very intolerant and trampling on the God-given rights of parents to raise their children as they see fit.
>The public has a legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel societies that are based on religion or motivated by different world views and in integrating minorities into the population as a whole.
In other words, the rights of the individual must be subjugated to make him conform to the society as a whole, because the governing powers are afraid that allowing individual liberty might result in the development of "parallel religious societies" that threaten the stability of the secular state.
>If we are to achieve integration, not only must the majority of the population prevent the ostracization of religious minorities or minorities with different world views, but minorities must also remain open and engage in dialogue with those who think differently or share different beliefs. Such a dialogue with minorities is not only necessary but also enriches an open, pluralistic society.
And what if not everyone in Germany shares your goal of achieving religious integration? Does that mean that you and your government have the right to force them to integrate? And is it logical to think that minorities cannot engage in dialogue just because their children don't go to the state-controlled schools?
>It goes without saying that parents play an important role in the education of their children. They can and should pass on their values to their children. In this respect, mandatory school attendance should be seen not as an obstacle but as a complement.
Obviously, some parents in Germany believe that public school attendance will be an obstacle to properly raising their children as Christians. Otherwise, they would not have tried to homeschool them. And who are you and your bureaucrat friends to say that they are wrong for doing that? It is quite arrogant for you to think that you know best what is right for everyone in Germany.
>Religious conflict is prevented under the Basic Law, where the right to establish private schools is guaranteed.
I suppose that is a good thing. But what about people who cannot afford to send their children to private schools? Why are they not free to homeschool? And are the private schools allowed to develop their own curriculums based on their worldview or do their curriculums also have to conform to meet your government's goals of a pluralistic and religiously integrated society?
>In addition, religion is not a mandatory subject at public schools; however, it is offered to those who decide to select it as a subject.
Religion is a mandatory subject in all facets of education. If teachers are expressing ideas about what is right and what is wrong, and the origins of the universe and all things therein, then they are teaching religion. And an education which fails to glorify God as the creator and maintainer of all things is not a neutral education, it is an evil education.
>I hope this explanation is helpful to you in better understanding the German system of school attendance.
Yes, it does help me to understand. And it also gives me one more reason to be thankful that God put me in the USA and not in Europe. What you have in modern Germany is not freedom.
posted by Stuart DiNenno at 1/27/2005 03:10:00 PM
3 Comments:
I'm still picking my jaw off the floor.
apples and oranges my friends. You miss the point. Neither exposure to nor exclusion from societal/religious beliefs insure either faithfulness or athiesm. Faithfulness is bred through faithfulness. When parents know how to balance societal tolerance with clear biblical teaching as well as loving their children unconditionally then the love of Christ has fertile ground in the hearts of the children. On thing that exposure to other beliefs does ensure is that children can think for themselves and therefore also be able to take their beliefs more personally rather than simply believe what "mom and dad taught me."
Anon
apples and oranges my friends.
Bret
I kind of like plums myself.
Anon
You miss the point.
Bret
Yeah ... right.
Anon,
Neither exposure to nor exclusion from societal/religious beliefs insure either faithfulness or athiesm.
Bret
Well sure ... only God can insure anything BUT if you teach and catechize ones children in the ways of a godless or false covenant one should not be surprised if they end up embracing a godless and false covenant
Anon,
Faithfulness is bred through faithfulness.
Bret
Right!
And faithfulness to God begins with being faithful to the covenant and not committing idolatry by turning over His covenant seed to be trained by a system that descends from and is reflective of a False God. See. Dt. 6.
Anon,
When parents know how to balance societal tolerance with clear biblical teaching
Bret
Why should we balance clear biblical teaching with teaching that isn't clearly biblical (i.e.-- Societal tolerance -- as that has come to be understood in the West)?
Anon
as well as loving their children unconditionally then the love of Christ has fertile ground in the hearts of the children.
Bret
Sentimental pap!
The Love of Christ has fertile ground in the hearts of the children when we teach them the way they should go.
Anon,
On thing that exposure to other beliefs does ensure is that children can think for themselves
Bret
LOL
LOL
You're kidding right?
One thing that exposure to other beliefs does for small children is to confuse them.
THE THING that ensures that small children will think for themselves is being thoroughly imbued with a Christian World and Live view. Something they will not gain by learning societal tolerance.
Anon,
and therefore also be able to take their beliefs more personally rather than simply believe what "mom and dad taught me."
Bret
You would prefer that they prefer to believer what ...
"The State taught me." (?)
Bret
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