(Blog is only available in English)Whatever Happened in Berlin?
Posted July 9th, 2009 by Tina Liedle
Berlin State Capitol - Preuβischer Landtag
The Highländlers met with CDU Representative Sascha Steuer at the capitol of the state of Berlin, on June 11, 2009. He described major education reforms which are currently under discussion and which should be decided on by the end of this year.
We spoke of the benefits that home education had brought to the members of our performing group and of the numerous German people that we had met who were interested in the freedom to choose this method of educating their children, but could not because it is illegal.
Many parents are frustrated with the education system and would like a German solution to the problem. We asked if the education commission would consider home education in their discussions.
Herr Steuer stated 2 objections to this idea: (1) if the Turkish immigrants were given this freedom, many of them would choose not to educate their children, who would then become a burden to society – and (2) he did not think that parents would be capable of teaching their own children. He was, however, open to the idea of allowing this discussion to come to the table if people would send him their thoughts about how to make this choice feasible.
Contact: Sascha Steuer
saschasteuer@aol.com www.sascha-steuer.de
Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin
Preuβischer Landtag
10111 Berlin
Tel. (d): 030/ 23 25 28 25
e 
- CDU Representative Sascha Steuer for the state of Berlin (or Prussia) Education Commission
July 13th, 2009 at 6:24 am
The first argument is based on too little insight of what the schools really contribute to even stir the Islamic community end to encourage them to hold on to their Islamic culture. They hate ungodly, atheist schools with all their heart, and even more atheist people and all those who represent them in the state. They live already in parallel-societies. Home education could help to find the roots of the traditionally Christian society, which Mr. Steuers political party, the CDU (“C stands for Christian, “D” for Democrat, meaning also subsidiary, “U” for Union) should be the first one to understand. We wait and will see.
A Belgian home educator, Mr. Paul Belien wrote a most interesting article about “Europe must find its roots in America”. http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/1150. Mr. Steuer might gain some insight by reading it.
The second argument of course is the most normal reaction from some one who has not even thought about such possibilities of parents. I would have reacted in a much harder way, when I was part of a school-board 23 years ago. Since then my wife and I have home educated four children with best success. I am trained as a chef, my wife as a secretary. We were on our own, the first ones who dared. Between two hundred and five hundred families must have followed ever since here in Switzerland. – As a result of such success, the authorities started to restrict possibilities and plan to bring it to an end for this country. Much could be said. Let’s trust the upcoming generation to do better than we did. We are standing with them. The fight is getting more fierce. We won’t give away the most precious gifts you can have in life: the children the creator has given you. – As long as children learn in school and repeat it every day, as they make their way to that “learning-place”: “My parents are incapable to teach me what my teacher knows” and as long as parents repeat it and educational commissioners, teachers and all the thousands of experts, psychologists, social workers, doctors, high school teachers, university professors, politicians and journalists and long lists of even more specialists: “school is the real and only place where you can learn to live”, well so long it will be difficult for us to find freedom to direct our children into real life. I encourage not to giving up. We must take up those arguments and reply on every serious question.
This man, Mr. Steuer seems to deserve answers. Let’s talk to him. He is not informed. He can’t know, so he can’t help. It’s up to us to help him.