#Homeschooling: USA 🇺🇸 v. Germany 🇩🇪 #livingingermany #germanyvsusa

[usa.mom.in.germany]

Sources ⬇️ Like most German laws, there there are exceptions, like preventatively disabled children, children who are too ill, and there are even work-arounds for circus children. Also, this is a very big cultural difference, so please be kind as we learn from each other in the comments.

[marysiafritzsche]

Some countries in Europe allow homeschooling, but homeschooled children have to pass exams euch semester to ensure, that they actually lern and are on the right knowledge level. There are schools that specialise in honeschooling studens and offer trips and holliday camps, so that homeschooled children can socialise.

[xollefi]

I was homeschooled by an incredibly unwell schizophrenic woman for 12 years. I basically wasn't allowed to go outside or have any friends because she'd throw a tantrum or start getting super aggressive. By 12 I had a 3rd grade understanding of math and ended up having to teach myself to get caught up to my peers. Also couldn't read a single thing until I was 9

[KorGarrot]

One important key difference though is that public schools in Germany actually get proper funding from their government.

[nate]

As a Swiss, I must say I've mostly heard of homeschooling as something done mostly by religious fanatics, paranoïd people and others who want to control their child's life and often have something to hide (like various forms of abuse they fear would be reported by a teacher)

[DominikSchwager]

"Let me protect my child from indoctrination by only teaching it my point of view" is such an American thing to do.

[michellebrickner]

I just wanted to say I appreciate that you display the tone you're using. I have ADHD and sometimes have difficultly figuring out if someone is serious or sarcastic.

[sammiemaureen]

As someone who was almost exclusively homeschooled in the midwest, I can confirm I experienced nothing short of child abuse. I had almost 2 years of public school between ages 4-6. There was nothing in place to make sure we were receiving proper education, and the only form of testing I experienced was when I applied for my GED in place of a high school diploma at age 18. The lack of socializing was extremely detrimental to my development, not to mention the amount of domestic violence taking place, and that the environment resembled something from TLC's Hoarders. I understand my experience was bizarre and extreme, and it blows my mind how it was allowed to happen. It makes me wonder how many more kids have slipped through the cracks. I'm grateful that I was able to escape and create a better life for myself.

[naomililith]

I went to school in germany, my parents which are not native did not know many things about it. So one day I got sick and that I was for a while, my mom didnt know that you had to communicate that. the school couldnt reach her so a couple of days later my classroom teacher and a policeman show up at our door to check up if I am fine. Honestly I think that is so good for the security of children. I can see how homeschooling is charming but I believe socialisation is such an important part of it.

[nchnch]

Homeschooling also makes child abuse harder to detect.

[caradanellemcclintock]

I was homeschooled most of my school career cause I kept getting abusive teachers who couldn't deal with my ADHD but here in South Africa there are homeschool groups that do activities together all the time so we where social it ended up being a way better experience for me

[iosco]

In Germany it's outlawed to avoid Religious extremism.
In the U.S they homeschool to ensure Religious extremism.

[MrDiesel]

Anecdotally, all the homeschooled kids I met growing up lived in very extremist and oppressive households and had very little outside contact so they had zero opportunities to get help if they needed it.

[ManoukVisser]

As a European it is so confusing to me that the country that makes kids ‘pledge allegiance to the flag’ is concerned about indoctrination in European schools. To me, this practice seems like a very toxic form of indoctrination which would never be accepted where I live (Nl). I probably have a very limited perspective on American schools, but it aways seems the level of indoctrination is high in the USA..

[FrogeniusW.G.]

I had to laugh so hard, "It's no joke here!" 😂😂
Yes, that's true, it isn't.

And regarding "indoctrination": It's made sure students in Germany get taught (mostly even several times) about WW2 etc. during their school career. They often even visit old concentration camps.
This is one of the topics taken very serious here.
Same with environmental protection and sex education.

[kaseywahl]

The homeschooling parents who fear indoctrination are the ones who completely isolate their children from exposure to the diversity of teachers, classmates, and ideas that come from a school system.

When homeschoolers say "I don't want the school indoctrinating my children, " what they're really saying is "I want complete control over what ideas my children are exposed to."

There's some irony there.

[MimiMimi-slfc]

Yep… same in Italy. Education is a serious topic AND it’s free 😊

[pflanzinatorin]

As a teacher in germany i can say that sometimes we let children leave school a day or two befpre the official holiday starts so that they can fly to see family that lives far away etc. Having polica explicitly looking for children at the airport can't be true. I have never heard of that. Greetings, a primary school teacher from Berlin

[beth]

As a US homeschooling mom - I wish our schools were as well-funded and safe as German schools. Between school shootings, anti-intellectualism, and insufficient support for learning disabilities like ADHD, and even lack of flexibility for gifted kids... In our case, homeschooling is the better option.
(Yes, my child gets outside social interaction through things like Cub Scouts.)

[udubeats]

I decided to homeschool my kids (with professional tutors) because our local school system was dramatically underperforming. 2 weeks after pulling them out, there was a shooting in my eldest child's school with multiple fatalities. Having looked at German schools, I would 100% send my kids to a German public school. America does not take education of any kind seriously.