Home Education Threatened In Sweden - NCCG.ORG Ning Network Archive 2008-10

I heard about a proposed new law in Sweden that would disallow homeschooling
for either philosophical or religious reasons. Which sounded like pretty
much every reason you *would* homeschool, to me; so I emailed a
homeschooling mother I interviewed for an article about homeschooling in
Sweden, asking if she knew about it.

I was hoping that she'd say the news had been misreported or grossly
exaggerated. Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"Yes, in this new law no admittance will be given to homeschool for
philosophical or religious reasons. What is left is medical reasons and
traveling, more or less. The government want to get rid of homeschooling."

She added that fortunately, it is only a proposal at this point; but that
it's supposed to go into effect in 2011. So it's important that they start
working now to fight for a change.

What interested me was that she mentioned that only very conservative types
talk about family bonds and parenting in Swedish politics. Everyone else is
all about individuality.

I find this depressing, because I don't see that there has to be any
contradiction. (I don't mean that my friend thinks there is a contradiction
here; but it seems as if much of the rest of the country might.) As an
American homeschooler, I homeschool both for family closeness and because I
want my son to be his own person. I think that he has a better chance of
being free to explore the world and make his own place in it if we
homeschool. And our family closeness is a big part of making him feel
secure enough to be a true individual rather than someone whose opinions are
formed by his peers.

To follow this thread, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globalhomeschooling/message/1

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