Proceedings
were opened against us in the middle of September last year, to which we had
one week to respond. We did respond within that week, and heard...nothing. Once
we arrived in South Africa at the beginning of January, we sent a fax to the
school authorities (Schulamt) in our city in Germany, saying that we're now in
South Africa, and would they please let us know where we stand with them
legally. Today (February 11th--it took awhile!!) we received a letter, that they
have dropped all charges against us! Yay!! Of course, on the one hand, I would
definitely say that they didn't really have any other choice, but on the other
hand, if you get a speeding ticket, you don't get it dropped just because you
move, either, so...it's just a great relief to know that they've dropped
charges!
I regularly receive updates about families still fighting in Germany,
unfortunately, nothing any more positive than a court date being pushed back by
a few weeks and so on, no positive rulings of any kind, at least not that I've
heard of. The "positive" stories are all about the families who have managed to
escape--who no longer live in Germany. There's a not-very-funny joke going
around (actually has been for some years): What do you call a German
homeschooler? Answer: a foreigner. The point being that German homeschoolers are
leaving Germany and are now foreigners wherever they are. As far as most of the
authorities are concerned, homeschoolers leaving the country is simply a matter
of "good riddance." None of them have any interest in hearing that these
families have been "forced" to leave--they emphasize that they had every right
to stay--as long as they put their children in school. Over and over again there
are mentions of "reconciliation talks" that have accomplished nothing, because
the parents aren't willing to compromise. The thing is, many ARE willing to
COMPROMISE: to submit to testing, evaluations, even to using a certain
curriculum...but the authorities are not willing to compromise in any way,
shape, or form: as far as they're concerned, "compromise" means that parents
give in completely.
Anyway, we're out of the fight for the time being, but as I always say, watch
this space...
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