A federal immigration judge in Tennessee has awarded political asylum to a German couple who were threatened by the German government with having their children forcibly removed from their home because the couple chose homeschooling instead of sending them to state approved schools.
Uwe Romeike may now stay as a legal resident in Morrisstown, Tennessee, where the family moved in 2008 after being threatened by German authorities.
The Associated Press was one of the few Old Media outlets covering this story. Of the Romeike’s plight, the AP reported:
The Romeikes took their three oldest children out of school in Bietigheim-Bissingen in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg in 2006. Romeike said the couple was fined the equivalent of about $10,000 over a two-year period.
Mr. Romeike told reporters that, “I think it’s important for parents to have the freedom to chose the way their children can be taught.” (yes, the AP spelled it “chose”)
This isn’t the only case of a German family facing the wrath of state sponsored schools negating the rights of parents to guide their own children’s education. In 2009 the Wunderlich family had their children seized by French officials at the behest of German authorities for the family’s violation of official German schooling policies.
Sadly, about the only people reporting on these incidents seem to be Christian groups and homeschooling networks on the Internet. Groups like the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). As mentioned above, the AP has a story that has made its way around the wires, too, but there doesn’t seem to be much independent coverage of this by the Old Media.
This seems odd since it is quite an interesting story where it concerns international relations. The HSLDA says that this ruling is “embarrassing for Germany.” That may be but the rest of the media is silent.
“This decision finally recognizes that German homeschoolers are a specific social group that is being persecuted by a Western democracy,” said Mike Donnelly, staff attorney and director of international relations for Home School Legal Defense Associaton. “It is embarrassing for Germany, since a Western nation should uphold basic human rights, which include allowing parents to raise and educate their own children. This judge understood the case perfectly, and he called Germany out. We hope this decision will cause Germany to stop persecuting homeschoolers,” he added.
The HSLDA also notes that homeschoolers in Germany face increasing amounts of persecution.
“There is no safety for homeschoolers in Germany,” Donnelly said. “The two highest courts in Germany have ruled that it is acceptable for the German government to ‘stamp out’ homeschoolers as some kind of ‘parallel society.’ The reasoning is flawed. The fact is that homeschoolers are not a parallel society. Valid research shows that homeschoolers excel academically and socially. German courts are simply ignoring the truth that exists all over the world where homeschooling is practiced. They need to look beyond their own borders.”
This newest development is not being covered much, though ABC, and the AP covered the Romeike family back in March as the court case came before immigration officials.
Some might think that a democratic western nation losing some of its citizens to another democratic western nation through a case of political asylum would be quite a story for the media? Unfortunately, the story has an element of homeschooling so the story stays under the radar. And there certainly seems to be a bias of omission being committed against homeschooling in the American media.
7 Responses
I’m a citizen of the USA (Iowa) and I’m 16 and have been doing a foreign exchange for the past 5 months (I go home in August). I read about this in the Bietigheimer Zeitung (Bietigheimer Newspaper) of the same Bietigheim-Bissingen, Baden-Württemberg and, of course, they had a completely different feeling about this entire happening. The only thing from Mike Donnelly that they quoted was that “It is embarrassing for Germany.” And my host-dad told me that it is embarrassing for me, as an American, that a high-level-official would say something like that.
I then looked up the facts about homeschooling in the USA (i.e. 91% are Christian, 37.5% of the parents have a Bachelor’s Degree, 16.75% have their Master’s Degree…and so on) and told them to him. He said, “And the other precent isn’t probably educated and no one can control what they are learning…blahblahblah.” I don’t know what to say.
It’s proven, that through time, as the education of a population is increased, their is a decrease in religion and the belief in a higher power. That is definitely so here in Germany. I’m in a Realschule (High School) here in Germany and one difference is that you have to take some sort of religion class BASED ON WHAT YOU BELIEVE. So, I’m Protestant and I go to a Protestant religion class and the Catholics are in their own class and the rest (Jews, Muslims, Non-Believers) are in their on class in Ethic. There is no separation of Church and State here in Germany, and nevertheless I’m the most active person in my religion class (coming from a country with 76% Christians) being a strong Christian myself.
In America, our public schools are definitely not the best in the world, especially when you compare them to German schools. But then I saw something about the average home-schoolers perform 35% better than public-schoolers in the USA.
Peace,
McKinly
Posted on January 29th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
Oh, and I living in Bietigheim-Bissingen too. I forgot to add that.
Posted on January 29th, 2010 at 2:28 pm
Thanks for your message, Mr. Springer.
I agree with you when you say our schools are not very good. I think it’s worse than that, though. U.S. schools are some of the worst in the civilized world. Homeschoolers in the USA do, indeed, have much, much higher levels of achievement in education. It shows how bad our schools are. But this issue is not about whose schools are better but which culture allows its citizens the freedom of religious conviction. America allows that, Germany doesn’t. THAT is an embarrassment for Germany.
Posted on January 29th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
[...] This seems odd since it is quite an interesting story where it concerns international relations. The HSLDA says that this ruling is “embarrassing for Germany.” That may be but the rest of the media is silent. Read more… [...]
Posted on January 29th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
This only shows how badly the education of US judges is. You should expect a US judge to know that Germany is in the European Union and all Germans are automatically European Union citizens and allowed to settle anywhere in the European Union. They could for example have moved a two hours drive south from where they lived, to german speaking Austria. There homeschooling is allowed. Or to any of the other European Union countries where homeschooling is allowed.
If you live in Ohio and are not content with a law there – do you apply for asylum in Norway or would you move to, let’s say Indiana or Pennsylvania first?
This judge has made a fool out of himself.
Posted on January 30th, 2010 at 8:57 am
I disagree with llama entirely, especially the line about “This judge has made a fool out of himself.” The judge did not allow politics i.e. U.S./German relations to influence or dictate his decision. Enough said on that point.
Additionally, did you miss this portion of Mr. Huston’s article?
“This isn’t the only case of a German family facing the wrath of state sponsored schools negating the rights of parents to guide their own children’s education. In 2009 the Wunderlich family had their children seized by French officials at the behest of German authorities for the family’s violation of official German schooling policies.”
Apparently so, by your suggestion the Romeike’s should have moved to another EU country. (While the countries of the EU are united in some aspects, the fact remains that they are still independent countries. It is vastly different from your simple analogy of moving from one U.S. state to another.)
Posted on February 2nd, 2010 at 9:36 am
att Kym B. Said
*** Apparently so, by your suggestion the Romeike’s should have moved to another EU country. (While the countries of the EU are united in some aspects, the fact remains that they are still independent countries. It is vastly different from your simple analogy of moving from one U.S. state to another.) ***
Where did you got that from?? *** It is vastly different from your simple analogy of moving from one U.S. state to another. *** It will be astonishing but as a European I have more rights than the typical US citizen where it comes to that, I can enter and live in each nation ot the EU as I see fit. Now you can’t live for free outside your nation. As far as I am informed an American who wants to leave the USA has still to pay income tax for 12 years. (But than that can be a misunderstanding from my side.)
att. Mc Kingley Springer
*** But then I saw something about the average home-schoolers perform 35% better than public-schoolers in the USA. ***
Now as you are going to school in Germany, how would you compare the level of education at the german public school in comparison to the US one?
*** I’m in a Realschule (High School) here in Germany … ***
Oh, a Realschule is a High School, now than I understand the level in the public schooling in USA. I thought the High School would have been something similar to the Gymnasium.
att Warner Tod Huston
*** But this issue is not about whose schools are better but which culture allows its citizens the freedom of religious conviction. ***
Aha, and where did you got the impression or information from that you can not choose as you want. Oh, how surprising you are allowed to choose another one as your parents want you to hold.
Ulirch S. / Germany
Posted on February 3rd, 2010 at 4:28 pm
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