Afrikaanse weergawe onderaan
Protest against the persecution of homeschoolers in Germany
Media Statement by the Association for Homeschooling
23rd November 2007
The Association for Homeschooling, in co-operation with the Pestalozzi
Trust legal defence fund for home education, has applied to the
Tshwane Metro Police for permission to hold a protest meeting outside
the Deutsche Schule (German School) in Pretoria on 30th November 2007.
The purpose of the meeting is to inform the German community of
Pretoria of our protest against the persecution of homeschoolers in
Germany under the pretext that they are establishing or continuing
so-called "parallel societies".
The German government has informed the Association and others who have
expressed their concern, that it is persuaded of the educational
merits of home education. However, it holds that children in Germany
(including children of German families), need to be compelled by force
into German schools in order to be duly integrated into the kind of
German society approved by the German state.
This includes the children of South African and other families
residing in Germany.
Last year, home learner Melissa Busekros was forcefully removed from
her family. In order to counter the "family influence", she was first
interned in a state psychiatric facility where she was diagnosed with
"school phobia" and subsequently placed in foster care. On the night
of her sixteenth birthday, when she obtained the right to choose her
own residence, she fled from foster care and returned to her family home.
More recently, the Neubronner family who homeschool their children in
the "free" city of Bremen, were allowed to do so last year, only to be
fined 4500 Euro (more than R45 000) this year for homeschooling. When
the authorities did not find sufficient possessions in their home to
be sold in execution of the fine, this week the bank accounts of the
family's small publishing business were frozen.
This has destroyed the means of economic survival of the family,
reducing them to beggarhood. This not only endangers their ability to
retain the family home, but has created "justification" for
authorities to remove the children from the family.
The family was compelled to obtain a protective court order to prevent
the removal of the children from their care – an action that the
German authorities have taken in the case of other homeschooling families.
The Association for Homeschooling condemns these actions, which the
German government justifies in its quest to prevent "parallel
societies" and asserts that the German government is guilty of gross
human rights abuses.
The Association also points out that the German state funds and
supports the Deutsche Schule in Pretoria and similar German schools
elsewhere in Africa, and even provides German homeschooling families
in Africa with learning programmes. Clearly, the government of Germany
is sustaining German "parallel societies" in Africa while oppressing
homeschoolers in Germany under the pretext that homeschoolers (so they
claim) are doing in Germany what Germany itself is in fact doing in
African countries!
Homeschoolers in Pretoria hope to enlist the support of the German
"parallel" community in our city for our protest against these dual
standards being applied by the German government in such a cruel and
inhumane manner.
For further information contact Bouwe van der Eems 082 907 9696 or
Leendert van Oostrum 082 8262 675.
Protes teen die vervolging van tuissonderwys in Duitsland
Mediaverklaring deur die Vereniging vir Tuisonderwys
23 November 2007
Die Vereniging vir Tuisonderwys, in samewerking met die Pestalozzi
Trust regsfonds vir tuisonderwys, het by die Tshwane Metropolisie
aansoek gedoen om op 30 November `n protesvergadering buite die
Deutsche Schule (Duitse Skool) in Pretoria te hou.
Die doel van die vergadering is om die Duitse gemeenskap van Pretoria
in te lig oor ons protes teen die wrede vervolging van tuisskolers in
Duitsland onder die voorwendsel dat hulle sogenaamde "paralelle
gemeenskappe" vestig of onderhou.
Die Duitse regering het die Vereniging en ander besorgdes ingelig dat
hy oortuig is van die pedagogiese meriete van tuisonderwys. Sy
standpunt is egter dat kinders in Duitsland (insluitende kinders van
Duitse gesinne) met geweld in Duitse skole ingedwing moet word sodat
hulle behoorlik geïntegreer kan word by die soort Duitse samelewing
wat deur die Duitse staat goedgekeur word.
Dit sluit die kinders in van Suid-Afrikaanse gesinne wat in Duitsland
woon.
Verlede jaar is tuisleerder Melissa Busekros met geweld van haar gesin
verwyder. Ten einde die "gesinsinvloed" teen te werk, is sy eers in `n
staatsbeheerde psigiatriese inrigting aangehou, waar sy met
"skoolfobia" gediagnoseer is, voordat sy in pleegsorg geplaas is.
Gedurende die nag van haar sestiende verjaardag, waarmee sy die reg
verkry het om haar eie woonplek te kies, het sy uit die pleegsorg
gevlug en na haar gesinswoning teruggekeer.
Onlangs is die Neubronnergesin van die "vry"-stad Bremen verlede jaar
wel toegelaat om hul kinders tuisonderwys te gee, net om vanjaar met
4500 Euro (meer as R45 000) beboet te word weens hul tuisonderwys. Toe
die owerheid nie genoeg besittings in hul huis kon kry om ter delging
van die boeteskuld te verkoop nie, is die bankrekeninge van die gesin
se klein uitgewersbesigheid hierdie week gevries.
Dit het die gesin se bron van ekonomiese oorlewing vernietig en hulle
tot die bedelstaf gedwing. Hierdeur word nie net die gesin se vermoë
om hul woning te behou in gevaar gestel nie, maar dit het
"regverdiging" geskep om die kinders uit die gesin te verwyder.
Die gesin Neubronner was verplig om `n beskermende hofbevel te verkry
om te verhoed dat die kinders uit hul sorg verwyder word – `n stap wat
Duitse owerhede in die geval van ander tuisskoolgesinne geneem het.
Die Vereniging vir Tuisonderwys verdoem hierdie optrede, wat die
Duitse owerheid voorhou as `n poging om "parallelle samelewings" te
voorkom, en verklaar dat die Duitse regering hom skuldig maak aan
growwe menseregteskendings
Die Vereniging wys ook daarop dat die Duitse staat die Deutsche Schule
in Pretoria en soortgelyke skole elders in Afrika befonds en
ondersteun, en selfs Duitse gesinne in Afrika voorsien van
leerprogramme vir tuisonderwys. Dit is duidelik dat die Duitse
regering Duitse "parallelle samelewings" in Afrika onderhou terwyl dit
tuisonderwys in Duitsland onderdruk onder die voorwendsel dat
tuisskolers in Duitsland (so beweer hy) bloot doen wat Duitsland self
daadwerlik in Afrika-lande doen!
Tuisskolers in Pretoria hoop om die steun te verkry van die
"parallelle" Duitse gemeenskap in ons stad vir ons protes teen hierdie
dubbele standaarde wat die Duitse regering so wreed en onmenslik toepas.
Vir meer inligting kontak Bouwe van der Eems 082 907 9696 of Leendert
van Oostrum 082 8262 675.
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