HomeSchooling Home Education Blog

[Saturday 23rd August 2014]

So, you may have decided that homeschooling sounds great - but is it 'legal'?

In Australia you DO have the legal option to home school your child, but it is not the case in many countries. Interestingly, it is not just countries that have 'totalitarian' governments that have banned home schooling - many supposedly 'free' western nations have also banned parents from educating their own children.

An article on WND Education in the US entitled: Frightening new assault on homeschooling looks at what is happening in other countries.

Their introduction says:

Among major democratic nations, homeschooling already is banned in Germany, under a Hitler-era law, and in Sweden, where authorities have taken offspring out of their family's arms to crack down on the educational method

The article lists many countries where home schooling is illegal, including most 'socialist-leaning or former communist' countries.

Why do countries do this? The answer can be found in a 'frightening' quote:

It was in 1937 when Adolf Hitler said: "The youth of today is ever the people of tomorrow. For this reason we have set before ourselves the task of inoculating our youth with the spirit of this community of the people at a very early age, at an age when human beings are still unperverted and therefore unspoiled. This Reich stands, and it is building itself up for the future, upon its youth. And this new Reich will give its youth to no one, but will itself take youth and give to youth its own education and its own upbringing.".

This quote shows the reason ... the control of education is the control of youth which is the control of the nation and it's future (in the direction that the government leaders at the time want it to go)! In other words, the children belong to 'us' (the state) not 'you' (the parents).

There are many voices even in this country that are, perhaps more subtly but effectively saying the same thing - the children 'belong' to the state and not the family. Watch closely for this sometimes hidden motive in things that happen - particularly in education. There is a quote attributed to Winston Churchill, but actually from George Santayana, that is important here:

Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it

Thankfully, home schooling is a legal option in all states of Australia - 'legal' but not always easy.

In all states the Education Department has oversight of education, including home schooling; The way they manage that oversight varies from state to state.

We will follow this up with a basic 'how-to' guide for people new to home schooling, and some of the details that vary from state to state, but will leave this post as one about the 'philosophy' question.

Who do you think is responsible for the children - the 'state' or the 'parents'?