YaelAldrich Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/152318#.Tyq1vMUS0TV We in the Jewish homeschooling community are trying to figure out how to help the family -- please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 It almost sounds as if the authorities are doing what they can to move that single Jewish family right along out of the city/country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Honestly? They cannot be singled out. If homeschooling is illegal except under special circumstances, and this family does not meet those circumstances, then it is illegal for everybody, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious affiliation. I felt like the articule put an undue weight on the fact the family is Jewish. This is a problem of Swedish laws as such, not of the fact that there are certain rules forced upon this family which are not forced upon other families - besides, you have to abide by the laws of the land you are in, even if you disagree with them, or attempt to change them in ways other than skirting them on your own. Same rules for all. Furthermore, do not take my word for this, but I am pretty convinced there *is* a day school in that place. Probably not Chabad? However, I am not sure it is factually correct that they do not have an alternative to Swedish public schools and I am not sure there is any real basis for their claims that children might face discrimination (did they have such experience with schools or they imagine they might have?). And even if they lived in a system which did not offer any alternatives to government schools, they would be free to accept the law of the land, or to leave the land. Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomandlorih Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sounds like they virtually eliminated homeschooling in Sweden for everyone. I'd be moving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Honestly? They cannot be singled out. If homeschooling is illegal except under special circumstances, and this family does not meet those circumstances, then it is illegal for everybody, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious affiliation. I felt like the articule put an undue weight on the fact the family is Jewish. This is a problem of Swedish laws as such, not of the fact that there are certain rules forced upon this family which are not forced upon other families - besides, you have to abide by the laws of the land you are in, even if you disagree with them, or attempt to change them in ways other than skirting them on your own. Same rules for all. Furthermore, do not take my word for this, but I am pretty convinced there *is* a day school in that place. Probably not Chabad? However, I am not sure it is factually correct that they do not have an alternative to Swedish public schools and I am not sure there is any real basis for their claims that children might face discrimination (did they have such experience with schools or they imagine they might have?). And even if they lived in a system which did not offer any alternatives to government schools, they would be free to accept the law of the land, or to leave the land. Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. Ester Maria, what about this part? "The longtime ban on shechita (Jewish ritual preparation of kosher meat), and recent laws tightening restrictions on Jewish ritual circumcision" That doesn't make it sound like a Jewish-friendly place to me. Frankly, I'm flabbergasted. I'm also flabbergasted about Germany and their recent homeschooling issues as well, though. People tend to see Europe as sooooo forward. Sometimes it seems backward to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SonshineLearner Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Honestly? They cannot be singled out. If homeschooling is illegal except under special circumstances, and this family does not meet those circumstances, then it is illegal for everybody, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious affiliation. I felt like the articule put an undue weight on the fact the family is Jewish. This is a problem of Swedish laws as such, not of the fact that there are certain rules forced upon this family which are not forced upon other families - besides, you have to abide by the laws of the land you are in, even if you disagree with them, or attempt to change them in ways other than skirting them on your own. Same rules for all. Furthermore, do not take my word for this, but I am pretty convinced there *is* a day school in that place. Probably not Chabad? However, I am not sure it is factually correct that they do not have an alternative to Swedish public schools and I am not sure there is any real basis for their claims that children might face discrimination (did they have such experience with schools or they imagine they might have?). And even if they lived in a system which did not offer any alternatives to government schools, they would be free to accept the law of the land, or to leave the land. Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. But don't you think that as the *only* Jews in the WHOLE school, that they would face discrimination? And if they are so advanced, how would the school adequately educate them, anyway? I'm a bit confused, though. How would it be that they live by themselves? I don't understand how they'd keep kosher and have a Temple and such. :( (Also, they aren't citizens of Sweden, and yet they're subject to their educational system?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helena Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 My daughter and I were just talking about the homeschooling laws in Sweden. She suggested that maybe they don't want a bunch of Pippi types hanging around. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom31257 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 This is very disturbing and almost eerie feeling to me. It's hard to believe a modern nation in today's world would be so intolerant. I thought tolerance of all types of people and religions was today's big enlightenment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (Also, they aren't citizens of Sweden, and yet they're subject to their educational system?) You know I see this come up all the time. If someone lives in the US and is not American, do they have to follow the laws here? Yes. It's not different anywhere else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YaelAldrich Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 EM, I don't see this as a "Jewish" issue, although the media organization reporting does (as it is Jewish media organization). I see it strictly as a home schooling/parental rights question. Many Chabad emissaries homeschool their children because there is no school suitable for them (there is no Jewish school or they deem the Jewish school in question (like in this case) unsuitable). We all chose to school/educate our children in this unusual way and thank G-d in America we can do so (even though some states have many, many regulations). I feel we have to help people who do not have that right. NayfiesMama, many families in the Chabad Lubavitch group of Judaism decide to live their lives in places that do not have any substantial Jewish population in order to minister (a funny word to use for long black coated, bushy bearded Jews!) to the Jews (and non-Jews) in that location. The husband is always a rabbi and they often set up a synagogue and provide needed services to their community. They keep very strictly kosher, sometimes forgoing kosher dairy products, chicken and meat for months to years at a time. There is a lot of anti-semitism in Sweden though -- it's not on my list of places to move! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Hm. I did quite a few searches. Honestly, I'm not sure I can figure out where the truth lies in this case. It looks like the couple was running a Jewish day school (with some government funding?), but then the government opened its own, more liberal Jewish day school? So, the government tried to close their school, for various reasons until they were successful in closing it? I don't know. All of the stories are written with so much bias that I am having trouble figuring out what the law is, how the schools are set up and/or what the various problems were with this family and its schools. I just don't think I know enough to have an opinion on the matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. This too. I'm supportive of making homeschool legal, but not just for one family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 You know I see this come up all the time. If someone lives in the US and is not American, do they have to follow the laws here? Yes. It's not different anywhere else. Actually, that's not the case. It's not the same everywhere. Here, we're not beholden to the Mexican schooling system. Thank goodness, too, because it's downright awful. If you asked someone here in my little area about that they would most likely think that it would be odd to think that we should be. They'd probably say that we're American so why should we be under Mexican schooling. The few (total of 3 actually) American kids I know that do go to the school here have a very hard time. The schools aren't set up to work with them and really mostly don't want to bother. In the local K class a couple years ago the two who spoke English were sat in the corner all day and not interacted with. My friend's high school aged daughter grew up in Mexican schools around here, but it was hard for her to convince the local elementary school principle to let her daughter in at all. He was very against it. Different cultures see it different ways. Also, I'm not even sure that in American a foreign guest would be expected to follow local schooling rules. I've never seen the law address that one way or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) Honestly? They cannot be singled out. If homeschooling is illegal except under special circumstances, and this family does not meet those circumstances, then it is illegal for everybody, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious affiliation. I felt like the articule put an undue weight on the fact the family is Jewish. This is a problem of Swedish laws as such, not of the fact that there are certain rules forced upon this family which are not forced upon other families - besides, you have to abide by the laws of the land you are in, even if you disagree with them, or attempt to change them in ways other than skirting them on your own. Same rules for all. Furthermore, do not take my word for this, but I am pretty convinced there *is* a day school in that place. Probably not Chabad? However, I am not sure it is factually correct that they do not have an alternative to Swedish public schools and I am not sure there is any real basis for their claims that children might face discrimination (did they have such experience with schools or they imagine they might have?). And even if they lived in a system which did not offer any alternatives to government schools, they would be free to accept the law of the land, or to leave the land. Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. :iagree: I fully support the rights of Rabbi and Rebbitzin Namdar to educate their children at home. No question about that. But the "reporting" by Arutz Sheva is contemptible. Arutz Sheva is an extremist "news" outlet that skews all of its "reporting" into the arena of distortions, half-truths and outright lies. This is their standard MO. It does the Jewish people no good for every issue to met with outrageous charges of "Antisemitism", or for this to be cast as either "the last battle of Communism" or the beginning of a march towards right wing extremism. These are scare tactics, and if that card is played every time there is a dispute between the Jewish community and authorities then eventually it will be seen as "crying wolf." That is not productive if and when real acts of Antisemitism (may it never happen) occur that need to be countered. I wish the Chabad emissaries well The regulations of the Swedish government are absurd IMO. I just wish the "reporting" wasn't from as biased and untrustworthy a news souce as Arutz Sheva. They make Fox "News" look good. Bill Edited February 2, 2012 by Spy Car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 How awful! It makes me so glad to live in the US. I'm bordering on hating California, but at least we don't have to deal with stuff like this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangermom Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Sadly, the Swedish government basically outlawed homeschooling a year or so ago. I followed it at the time (and wrote a letter to officials), but they really do not care what a few individuals want. Most Swedes almost certainly feel that homeschooling is unSwedish--they are much more collective in spirit, and one indivdual family living in a very different, isolated way and homeschooling is pretty much exactly what the government doesn't want to allow. I'm sorry for the family, but this isn't a specifically anti-Semitic thing. It's a government law based on anti-homeschooling feeling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TammyinTN Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Ester Maria, what about this part? "The longtime ban on shechita (Jewish ritual preparation of kosher meat), and recent laws tightening restrictions on Jewish ritual circumcision" That doesn't make it sound like a Jewish-friendly place to me. Frankly, I'm flabbergasted. I'm also flabbergasted about Germany and their recent homeschooling issues as well, though. People tend to see Europe as sooooo forward. Sometimes it seems backward to me. :iagree: There are things there that are very backwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teachin'Mine Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Honestly? They cannot be singled out. If homeschooling is illegal except under special circumstances, and this family does not meet those circumstances, then it is illegal for everybody, regardless of their ethnic origin and religious affiliation. I felt like the articule put an undue weight on the fact the family is Jewish. This is a problem of Swedish laws as such, not of the fact that there are certain rules forced upon this family which are not forced upon other families - besides, you have to abide by the laws of the land you are in, even if you disagree with them, or attempt to change them in ways other than skirting them on your own. Same rules for all. Furthermore, do not take my word for this, but I am pretty convinced there *is* a day school in that place. Probably not Chabad? However, I am not sure it is factually correct that they do not have an alternative to Swedish public schools and I am not sure there is any real basis for their claims that children might face discrimination (did they have such experience with schools or they imagine they might have?). And even if they lived in a system which did not offer any alternatives to government schools, they would be free to accept the law of the land, or to leave the land. Sorry not to be "supportive", but I am honestly not sure how much this is a *Jewish* issue, and how much this is a general Swedish law issue which they are trying to portray as a Jewish / antisemitism issue. I look at it as a human issue. How can I not feel for them as a homeschooling mom? How fortunate we are to have the freedom to homeschool here in the US. Unfortunately, in many countries that's not the case. It also sounds like the law was just tightened as of January 1st to not allow religious exemption. I'll be keeping them in my prayers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeschooling_international_status_and_statistics Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ester Maria Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 (edited) Ester Maria, what about this part? "The longtime ban on shechita (Jewish ritual preparation of kosher meat), and recent laws tightening restrictions on Jewish ritual circumcision" That doesn't make it sound like a Jewish-friendly place to me. The ban on shechita is actually a ban on kosher slaughter, not on preparation of kosher meat per se - some countries, like Sweden, or Switzerland for that matter, consider it cruel and insist that animals be stunned before they are slaughtered, which is not in accordance with the ritual laws. People who live in areas affected by the ban on shechita, or where it is for other reasons highly problematic to do it, typically have to import kosher meat privately. But don't you think that as the *only* Jews in the WHOLE school, that they would face discrimination? And if they are so advanced, how would the school adequately educate them, anyway? I'm a bit confused, though. How would it be that they live by themselves? I don't understand how they'd keep kosher and have a Temple and such. :( (Also, they aren't citizens of Sweden, and yet they're subject to their educational system?) It is highly probable that they would face some degree of discrimination indeed. However, it is not a fact, only a (albeit likely to happen) possibility at the present point, if I read correctly and their children have never been to a Swedish school. We do not *know*, strictly speaking, that those children are advanced if they are not tested in accordance with the Swedish school system - it is what the family claims. Speaking several languages, which seems to be the major "proof" of being advanced in the article, does not translate to having learned all the secular subjects to the Swedish school standards. They are obliged into adhering to the school system *unless* they attend an international school - because the *only* way to escape the system is effectively to enroll your children in an international school registered in the country. And nope, an online school does not cut it, for the most part, unless the international school in the country you are registered with allows you a similar arrangement, so you are a de facto at home, but de iure a regular school student. Even if you are not a citizen, but you spend more than a certain number of days a year in the country or you have a residence status, you are obliged to send your children to a school as the law mandates if there are no specific exemptions. EM, I don't see this as a "Jewish" issue, although the media organization reporting does (as it is Jewish media organization). I see it strictly as a home schooling/parental rights question. Many Chabad emissaries homeschool their children because there is no school suitable for them (there is no Jewish school or they deem the Jewish school in question (like in this case) unsuitable). We all chose to school/educate our children in this unusual way and thank G-d in America we can do so (even though some states have many, many regulations). I feel we have to help people who do not have that right. I would love for homeschooling to be legal in Sweden, but I really do not think portraying this as a "Jewish" issue, as done in the article, does good to anyone. It is cases like these which people hear of now and then, and then when something really antisemitic happens, they wave their hand, roll their eyes and say "Nah, it's probably nothing, those Jews complain all the time for having to follow the same rules as the rest of us in the country they choose to live in". :( I truly understand why they might deem the other school "unsuitable", but really, to what extent can you choose in a system which disallows homeschooling? A lot of frum Jews raise their children to be frum Jews even through public schools, it is not impossible - let alone if they have an access to some kind of a Jewish environment. Sometimes you go with the least of evils... or, if you choose to go underground, which we can even look at a morally acceptable choice even if legally problematic, I am not sure you pull the antisemitism argument so lightly. It is sad, and I am sorry for this family, but it will take a LOT for the situation and attitudes about homeschooling in much of Europe to change. Edited February 2, 2012 by Ester Maria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aelwydd Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I think that there probably is some xenophobia motivating Sweden's (and Germany's) anti-home schooling laws, but I think it's hardly directed at Jewish populations. Instead, I think these laws are a response to the growing Muslim populations in these countries. Europeans are increasingly uncomfortable with the rising numbers of Muslim members; not because of their ethnicity, but because of conflicting values. Germany, for example, is a strongly egalitarian, socially progressive society. So, a very conservative, highly religious mentality chaffs against the majority population. They hear about Muslim kids being taught different values at home and so their solution: ban all home schooling. I'm not claiming this is the only reason, but that it is a considerable motivating factor. Ironically, some of this is out of a desire to ensure anti-Semitism isn't propagated. Germans, in general, have a visceral horror to what happened in their country, and they feel they have a duty to their children to make sure that they are all educated as to the truth of the Holocaust, so it never happens again. To ensure that, they don't allow home schooling, and the opportunity for groups of people to "opt out" of that part of history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Actually, that's not the case. It's not the same everywhere. Here, we're not beholden to the Mexican schooling system. Thank goodness, too, because it's downright awful. If you asked someone here in my little area about that they would most likely think that it would be odd to think that we should be. They'd probably say that we're American so why should we be under Mexican schooling. The few (total of 3 actually) American kids I know that do go to the school here have a very hard time. The schools aren't set up to work with them and really mostly don't want to bother. In the local K class a couple years ago the two who spoke English were sat in the corner all day and not interacted with. My friend's high school aged daughter grew up in Mexican schools around here, but it was hard for her to convince the local elementary school principle to let her daughter in at all. He was very against it. Different cultures see it different ways. Also, I'm not even sure that in American a foreign guest would be expected to follow local schooling rules. I've never seen the law address that one way or another. Whether it is enforced or not, as a resident in a foreign country (except for some diplomats/military) you are supposed to follow the laws of said country. Now, I realize that in practice that looks very different across the globe, but the technical reality is that the laws of the host country apply to all residents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mooooom Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/2202412530.html Here is a Christian family, having boarded a plane to LEAVE the country so that they could homeschool their son, were intercepted on the airplane and their son taken from them. If you don't think the first scenario is scary, how about this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amey311 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 That story about the son being removed from the family was discussed here before. I have a homeschooling friend who spent 6 months in Sweden last year (as part of a professor exchange or similar). She said that some homeschooling families are moving to an island between Sweden and Finland because it was still close enough to Sweden to see family, but it was officially Finnish and homeschooling was legal there. HSLDA has a similar story: http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/201107080.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Whether it is enforced or not, as a resident in a foreign country (except for some diplomats/military) you are supposed to follow the laws of said country. Now, I realize that in practice that looks very different across the globe, but the technical reality is that the laws of the host country apply to all residents. It does look very different across the globe. The people of any given country decide which laws apply to whom. It's not cut and dry. If they don't mean them to apply to everyone, they don't apply to everyone. And at what point is someone truly a resident anyway? Some families take very long vacations. Should they be required to enroll their children? Some people consider themselves a resident when they are living in a country for a month long work contract. Should they be required to enroll their kid in school? Here, they would actually not be allowed to. Here, if you don't enroll by a certain date, you can't go to school at all until the next enrollment. If you move here mid school year? Too bad. They won't even let you comply with schooling laws. There is a huge population of indigenous people who can't get into school because they don't have papers. They aren't allowed to comply with schooling laws. Nobody cares. Well, almost nobody. We help them get papers if they come to us. But the schools don't care. I am starting to see now why people here are always telling me I don't understand because I'm American. Our way of thinking is not universal. We come in with our ideas on how things should be. Our ways are not everyone's ways. What is cut and dry and obvious to us is sometimes ridiculous in other cultures. And what's cut and dry and obvious in other cultures is sometimes ridiculous to us. There is universal right and wrong (don't murder innocents, for example). But there are things that we insist are "right" that are only a product of us seeing morality through the lens of our own culture. Saying a law should apply to everyone when the makers of said law never meant that to be the case and the people in said country don't think that should be the case, is strange. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sputterduck Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 That story about the son being removed from the family was discussed here before. I have a homeschooling friend who spent 6 months in Sweden last year (as part of a professor exchange or similar). She said that some homeschooling families are moving to an island between Sweden and Finland because it was still close enough to Sweden to see family, but it was officially Finnish and homeschooling was legal there. HSLDA has a similar story: http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Sweden/201107080.asp I want to live on a homeschooling island. Just had to get that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 It does look very different across the globe. The people of any given country decide which laws apply to whom. It's not cut and dry. If they don't mean them to apply to everyone, they don't apply to everyone. And at what point is someone truly a resident anyway? Some families take very long vacations. Should they be required to enroll their children? Some people consider themselves a resident when they are living in a country for a month long work contract. Should they be required to enroll their kid in school? Here, they would actually not be allowed to. Here, if you don't enroll by a certain date, you can't go to school at all until the next enrollment. If you move here mid school year? Too bad. They won't even let you comply with schooling laws. There is a huge population of indigenous people who can't get into school because they don't have papers. They aren't allowed to comply with schooling laws. Nobody cares. Well, almost nobody. We help them get papers if they come to us. But the schools don't care. I am starting to see now why people here are always telling me I don't understand because I'm American. Our way of thinking is not universal. We come in with our ideas on how things should be. Our ways are not everyone's ways. What is cut and dry and obvious to us is sometimes ridiculous in other cultures. And what's cut and dry and obvious in other cultures is sometimes ridiculous to us. There is universal right and wrong (don't murder innocents, for example). But there are things that we insist are "right" that are only a product of us seeing morality through the lens of our own culture. Saying a law should apply to everyone when the makers of said law never meant that to be the case and the people in said country don't think that should be the case, is strange. In case you failed to notice my location, I am an American living in Brazil, and you are misunderstanding my statement. The laws are the laws of a country. Period. For anyone who lives there. BUT -- and this is what I think you are driving at and what I obviously recognize and agree with and what I meant -- of course that is enforced in different ways in different places. Sort of like the driving things you mentioned; speeding, seatbelts, etc are taken as "suggestions" in reality even though technically speaking those are laws. Schooling laws aren't different on a "letter of the law" level. On a practical, what's enforced vs. what the law states level?? Sure, of course. I didn't mean that things are not enforced for foreigners; I am benefiting right now from that very thing. I won't spell it out publicly, but let's just say that the content of this article and others like it interests me on a very personal level because of who I am and what I'm doing and where I live and what the laws are. But even as I quietly benefit from being a foreigner here, I know that at any point things could change and what is not enforced today could be enforced tomorrow and that's a chance that I take. And thus I think anyone living in any foreign country should be prepared in case authorities there suddenly decide to begin enforcing the law. Because the law does always apply, even when the officials are looking the other way. The next official to come to office might not continue that unstated policy of leniency. Anyway, what I meant was that on a technical level, if some authority figure decided to enforce the law across the board to everyone, he could and would be within his rights to do so. Even if tradition up to that point is that such a thing would never happen. Even if it is utterly ridiculous to imagine that suddenly a gov't that is so broken as to actually hinder compliance with the law would somehow come to expect laws to be enforced that are impossible to enforce. I get that. I truly do. I fully understand that what is DONE doesn't match what the letter of the law says. But in general, the letter of the law applies to all people who live in any given country. As for what makes a resident....I guess in terms of legality, maybe the visa type? If someone can honestly say "I am here on vacation" then they'd have only a tourist visa to back that up and then, no, I wouldn't think anyone would hassle them about school. Especially with school breaks being different in different parts of the country and all. And I think that's a good reason that school laws aren't always enforced for foreigners. But I think anyone living there long term ("there" being any foreign country not their own) should be prepared to comply with the law if and when they're asked to. Not raise a stink about how unfair it is to be held accountable to the same laws as all residents of said country. And I don't say that lightly. I say that as one very aware of what I speak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I want to live on a homeschooling island. Just had to get that out. on this, we agree. Boy how I'd love to live on a hs'ing island. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.