Germany: We are Borg

March 20th, 2007

If you are a German overseas with children, you can register with a correspondence school and be exempted from Schulpflicht (compulsory school attendance).

If you are a foreigner with a child over the age of 14 years you may be allowed an exemption in some regions on compassionate grounds but that is a big ‘may’.

But if you are a foreign visitor to Germany you are allowed no dispensations.

See http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schulpflicht

Surely if one has applied to their national education Ministry and been approved through submission of intended curriculum then the German government could accept that and also grant a reciprocal exemption?

Surely if there is evidence to suggest that children under the age of 18 living in a foreign country are better to be with their parents rather than separated and sent away, that would be enough to acknowledge that the stability provided by parents, actually helps in acculturation and doesn’t propagate a parallel society.

[See the research by Ruth Useem and David Pollock’s book]

The sheer residency of a family and children in Germany is usually by choice, and for the most part will see many families there temporarily. The intention therefore would be for the family to move on or return home and reintegrate with their own culture and society. Is it not then a good idea for those children to be, if it is the parents choice, educated in the systems and language familiar to them, to advance their future?

When Germany grants temporary residency on one hand is it not creating a parallel society. Then on the other hand it tries to mandate assimilation.

[…]

Educating Germany

Well well well. Let that be a warning to anyone with offspring wanting to move to Germany for any reason. As soon as you get there your children will be assimilated, Borg style.

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