German Parents Face Legal Troubles for Homeschooling

(ANS) – Local education authorities in Germany are continuing to pressure home schooling parents into sending their children to public schools. Once again, a local court of justice in Paderborn is threatening a Christian couple with ten days in jail. The Baptist parents refused to pay a fine of US-Dollars 650 for not sending their children to a state registered school. The ethnic German immigrants from Russia are discontent with sex education and religious instruction. In April a mother living near Guetersloh was put behind bars for six days because she and her husband refused to send their children to a state registered school. In the federal state of North Rhine Westphalia alone 26 parents are facing legal conflicts because they want to educate their 42 children at home. Efforts are underway to establish a private evangelical state registered school in the district. The hope is that dissenting parents will be prepared to send their children to this institution. Home schooling is illegal in Germany , even if parents object to institutional education for reasons of faith or conscience. Many Christian and some Muslim parents, however, are defying legal requirements. It is estimated that at least 500 children in Germany are educated by their parents. Germany takes a tougher line against home schooling than other European democracies. France , the United Kingdom , Italy , Switzerland and Austria also require children to receive school education, but leave the form of education up to the parents. Home schooling lobbyists in Germany challenge what they see as an infringement of parental rights. They may take their case to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg , France .