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French Homeschoolers Need Your Help Immediately!
From the HSDLA Mailing List: French homeschoolers are faced with a draconian bill which will be voted on by parliament within the next few days. We just received word about this bill today.
Homeschooling is currently allowed in France. However, this bill would essentially outlaw homeschooling. No parent would be allowed to homeschool unless they showed that the health or handicap of their child makes it necessary for him or her to be taught at home.
In addition, if a family could even prove they have a health issue or some other "serious" reason to justify their homeschool, they would then have to submit to a home visit by a government official each year. Also, their curriculum would be either provided by the "National Center of Correspondence Teaching (CNED)" or by an approved private correspondence school.
French homeschoolers believe this bill will essentially outlaw homeschooling as they know it in France. They plead for your help to stop this restrictive bill.
Homeschoolers in America have successfully stopped similar legislation in Ireland, the Czech Republic, and South Africa. In both Ireland and the Czech Republic, the restrictive homeschooling bills had already passed one house of parliament before we even got involved. Once we got involved the bills were stopped.
At this point we need you to communicate with the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. In a few days we will send another email asking you to communicate directly with the parliament members.
ACTION REQUESTED
Please contact as soon as possible, by phone or email, the French Embassy and give them this message:
"Amendments 127 & 128, which would virtually outlaw homeschooling, are being voted on by the French parliament. If passed, this would cause a travesty. We cannot believe that a free country like France would outlaw such a basic right as parents choosing to homeschool their children. Over two million children are being successfully homeschooled in America. Homeschooling works. We ask that you immediately convey to the French government our concern and request that the bill language prohibiting homeschooling in nearly all circumstances be withdrawn."
Also, explain in a paragraph or two the wonderful success you have had with homeschooling.
Ambassador Jean-David Levitte
(202) 944-6000
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp...
http://www.hslda.org/elink.asp...
BACKGROUND
Homeschooling has long been allowed in France. Homeschoolers have to have regular testing and sometimes they are visited by an official, but for the most part operate freely. This bill would completely change that legal atmosphere and make it impossible for 95% of homeschoolers to operate.
Please take time to help our brothers and sisters in France, where the homeschool movement is small and they do not have a lot of organizations or numbers. Nonetheless, there are many sincere parents who love their children and want to faithfully teach them at home principles from the Word of God and personally train their children.
If homeschoolers don't try to help, who will? Please take a moment and contact the French Embassy.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel
Posted by: SoulRiser
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Posted in: News on January 11, 2007 @ 12:00 AM
Tags: Homeschooling, School
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AN UPDATE (from same mailing list):
In an incredible turnaround of events, the sponsor of the restrictive amendments which would have outlawed homeschooling has withdrawn his amendments.
We believe that the international outcry played a pivotal role in helping secure this victory. The French Minister of the Family, Philippe Bas, vocally opposed several articles of this huge bill entitled "Protection de L'Enfance," which means for "Protection of the Children." He specifically opposed the sections regulating and essentially prohibiting homeschooling, saying in the French parliament: "As they are, I am not favorable to these amendments [numbers 127 and 128], I find them too restrictive. . . We must allow parents who, for instance, have three young children, a mother who is willing to take care of them and if they have decided to teach them to read-write-count--if that is their choice of living--provided that we can verify that the educational job is well done, then that freedom must be preserved."
The homeschoolers in France are thankful that their right to teach their own children will not be taken away. These amendments, if passed, would have eliminated traditional homeschooling in France, only allowing homeschooling if the family could prove that it was necessary for their children to be taught at home due to a handicap or health reason. This is no longer a concern since these amendments have been withdrawn.
French homeschoolers can breathe safe once again. Their freedom remains intact once again.
About time we got some good news...
while i support homeschooling i say the guy running that website needs to learn that most homeschooling is NOT for religious reasons.