What do homeschooling and drunk driving have in common? A lot, according to a German judge who made the comparison when he sentenced parents to three months in jail for educating their children at home.
Juergen and Rosemarie Dudek, both Christians, are one of the estimated 400 couples in Germany who secretly homeschool their kids despite an antiquated ban on the practice instituted by Adolf Hitler 70 years ago. The decision, which smacks of Nazi-era oppression, will be appealed to a higher court, where the ruling will likely stand.
German courts have repeatedly upheld homeschooling as a form of “child abuse,” a conclusion echoing that of a California court last February when a three-judge panel struck down the rights of homeschooling parents in that state.
While the California ruling was later vacated, both have something in common—the desire to use public education as a vehicle for indoctrinating children in the liberal views of the state.
Tony Perkins heads the Family Research Council. This article is excerpted from the Washington Update that he compiles for the FRC.
