Mother jailed for home schooling her children - Germany

Stylerod · 09-21-2006, 11:46 PM

I had no idea it was against the law to home school your kids in Germany. That's pretty sad.

(LifeSiteNews.com) - The Brussels Journal reports that Katherina Plett responded to a knock on the door from an undercover police woman Thursday morning at 11:00PM. Once the Baptist woman opened the door, police officers, hidden outside the house, stormed into her home and arrested her for the crime of homeschooling her children. The female officer insisted that she watch Mrs. Plett as she changed her clothes claiming, “She would arm herself and shoot us all.”

German police then hauled Mrs. Plett off to Gelsenkirchen jail, where she is serving a 10 day prison sentence for exercising her right to be the primary educator of her children.

However, on Monday, Mrs. Plett’s husband gathered their children and fled to Austria, finding asylum at a Christian family center in Wolfgangsee, Austria. Another homeschooling family from Germany has also taken refuge after a Paderborn court ordered the seizure of their children.

The sudden arrest of Katherina Plett has also evoked a growing realization that the ghosts of Nazi Germany have resurged, as German authorities have cracked down on homeschooling families (mostly Christian), who have no intention of letting the German schools indoctrinate their children with anti-Christian values.

In January 2005, a mother and father were each sentenced to six days imprisonment in Westphalia after they refused to pay the fines for having forbidden their children to attend a Christmas school play of Grimm’s fairytale “King Thrushbeard”, which they considered blasphemous.

The arrest of Mrs. Plett came as the latest act in struggle between 7 homeschooling families in Paderborn and the local education board of the county. According to the board’s director, Heinz Kohler, “The parents’ right to personally educate their children would prevent the children from growing up to be responsible individuals within society.”

Full story Germany Uses Nazi Era Law to Imprison Mom for Homeschooling; Family Flees to Austria - Alain's Newsletter

IminWonderland · 09-21-2006, 11:58 PM

I actually know someone who lives in Germany, is a Baptist, and homeschools her children. The Father is a minister in the Baptist Church.

That being said, the kids....are warped. That's all I'm saying.

Stylerod · 09-22-2006, 12:01 AM

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

I actually know someone who lives in Germany, is a Baptist, and homeschools her children. The Father is a minister in the Baptist Church.

That being said, the kids....are warped. That's all I'm saying.

They must be "Southern" Baptists! hehehe

I know a few home schooled kids. They are great, went to college and did well. Just seems strange it would be illegal.

IminWonderland · 09-22-2006, 12:14 AM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

They must be "Southern" Baptists! hehehe

I know a few home schooled kids. They are great, went to college and did well. Just seems strange it would be illegal.

I believe they may be....and yeah, seriously...

My son was playing with a dinosaur, and her son started telling my kid that dinosaurs weren't real and that they aren't in the Bible, and then he tried to "save" my 2 year old and convince him that he needed Jesus. The kids like 7...I am like, why are you talking like that at 7? And it's totally because of the parents...

I mean, it IS strange for it to be illegal...and we are lucky that here we get options in educating kids...however, I can understand, when a smaller country who might depend on educated youth, (because we have more kids, we can afford for more screw ups). I would hate to not have that option, but I can see the other side of it too...

Kytro · 09-22-2006, 04:21 AM

I don't know if it should be illegal, but in terms of education if it there is law you must be educated, then it is reasonable to expect the teacher to be quailfied.

beez · 09-22-2006, 10:33 AM

Germany has a ton of immigrants. I think requiring kids be sent to public/private school is one way to enforce integration since many of the immigrants are Muslim Turks who would otherwise not allow their children (especially female) to be schooled let alone learn German.

lew · 09-22-2006, 11:30 AM

That homeschooling is illegal in Germany is atrocious, and that a few people in here think it's reasonable is

. There's almost nothing more totalitarian than forcing a parent to give up his or her child for 6 to 8 hours a day to be indoctrinated by the state. This is horrible. Glad I don't live in Germany.

Stylerod · 09-22-2006, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by lew

That homeschooling is illegal in Germany is atrocious, and that a few people in here think it's reasonable is . There's almost nothing more totalitarian than forcing a parent to give up his or her child for 6 to 8 hours a day to be indoctrinated by the state. This is horrible. Glad I don't live in Germany.

Yeah, I was pretty surprised by the talk here too. Especially from someone that has really nothing but bad things to say about her schooling experience.

But I do agree with what Kytro said. I wouldn't be against parents having to take some kind of schooling themselves to learn the proper way to educate their children.

Also, German kids only go to school until they are 15. Then they are expected to take an apprenticeship someplace. I couldn't beleive that my cousins 15 year old son was already out of school and having a hard time finding an apprenticeship he wants to take.

IminWonderland · 09-22-2006, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by Stylerod

Yeah, I was pretty surprised by the talk here too. Especially from someone that has really nothing but bad things to say about her schooling experience.

But I do agree with what Kytro said. I wouldn't be against parents having to take some kind of schooling themselves to learn the proper way to educate their children.

Also, German kids only go to school until they are 15. Then they are expected to take an apprenticeship someplace. I couldn't beleive that my cousins 15 year old son was already out of school and having a hard time finding an apprenticeship he wants to take.

Who me?

It wasn't ALLLLLL bad.....it just wasn't ALLLLLLL great.

The reason I am meh about this is mostly because of the Baptist thing, just because I know what kind of Baptist can live in Germany...

I think, and I believe this the same with Homeschooling here, that the parents should be qualified to teach the children, I don't really care how they get that knowllege or training, but I wouldn't want to entrust my mind to my Mother....she's a nut job.

Ardentfrost · 09-22-2006, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

Who me?

It wasn't ALLLLLL bad.....it just wasn't ALLLLLLL great.

The reason I am meh about this is mostly because of the Baptist thing, just because I know what kind of Baptist can live in Germany...

I think, and I believe this the same with Homeschooling here, that the parents should be qualified to teach the children, I don't really care how they get that knowllege or training, but I wouldn't want to entrust my mind to my Mother....she's a nut job.

I fail to see what that has to do with the gov't. That's between you and your mother, why should the gov't get involved? (theoretically, of course)

Scrum · 09-22-2006, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by lew

There's almost nothing more totalitarian than forcing a parent to give up his or her child for 6 to 8 hours a day to be indoctrinated by the state.

I agree, but that's not what public school is.

Ardentfrost · 09-22-2006, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

I agree, but that's not what public school is.

Sure it is. They maintain standards, schedules, criteria, subject matter... how else can you look at it?

lew · 09-22-2006, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

I agree, but that's not what public school is.

Sadly, it is.

Scrum · 09-22-2006, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

Sure it is. They maintain standards, schedules, criteria, subject matter... how else can you look at it?

I think i'm thinking of a more extreme definition of indoctrination than you guys are.

The state isn't instilling partisian programming into them, which is what I think of. They are just showing them how life is and teaching(sometimes badly) at the same time.
But there is no concerted effort to do anything other than produce productive member of society with skills.

Ardentfrost · 09-22-2006, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

I think i'm thinking of a more extreme definition of indoctrination than you guys are.

The state isn't instilling partisian programming into them, which is what I think of. They are just showing them how life is and teaching(sometimes badly) at the same time.
But there is no concerted effort to do anything other than produce productive member of society with skills.

That's a hard thing to prove or disprove.

But the fact remains that our children are being taught exactly what our government wants them to learn. imo, that's a doctrine (albeit, not NECESSARILY religious).

Scrum · 09-22-2006, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

That's a hard thing to prove or disprove.

But the fact remains that our children are being taught exactly what our government wants them to learn. imo, that's a doctrine (albeit, not NECESSARILY religious).

I would rather have this than a country full of homeschooled kids.

Ardentfrost · 09-22-2006, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by Scrumtralecent

I would rather have this than a country full of homeschooled kids.

eh, maybe... I like choices.

Home Schooling in the old days was mostly trade learning. Farmer's kids would be "schooled" by their parents in farm work. Now-a-days most home schooling is done through videos, not parents. They purchase materials for their kids to learn, and administer tests, and send them in to the "school."

IminWonderland · 09-22-2006, 06:00 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

I fail to see what that has to do with the gov't. That's between you and your mother, why should the gov't get involved? (theoretically, of course)

Well, I was just saying, I could side with the government on taking away Homeschooling for some, because there is a possibility that they won't teach factual information to children because of religion...

Like, Dinosaurs, or that the Grand Canyon WAS NOT carved by God....

You know, sensical stuff...

Ardentfrost · 09-22-2006, 06:02 PM

Originally Posted by IminWonderland

Well, I was just saying, I could side with the government on taking away Homeschooling for some, because there is a possibility that they won't teach factual information to children because of religion...

Like, Dinosaurs, or that the Grand Canyon WAS NOT carved by God....

You know, sensical stuff...

I think religious private schools do this sorta thing