Australia: Independent Homeschooler Faces Legal Sanctions – A Day in Court and Possibly Stiff Fines
I absolutely love this father who wants his children to learn in freedom. He wants us to call him “One” and so we shall.
He’s got six children and allows them to choose whether or not they want to attend school. The youngest – a son – is legally homeschooled – which in Australia means taking part in a government school program run by a “registered home educator”. The youngest daughter is slightly older. She attends primary school because she enjoys it. It is kind of the parents to allow their children the experiences they desire.
The family’s legal problems came with the two teenage daughters, Jemirah, 14, and Alisha, 13. They haven’t been in school for a few years because they don’t want to be there. Apparently they tried the government’s home schooling program and found it didn’t meet their needs.
One believes that children should be able to learn in freedom. He is quoted as saying, “Children are being denied their freedom by keeping them in schools as batch numbers for society.” He also doesn’t like that the children must “put poisons on their skin before being allowed in the sun.” I don’t blame him! He must be talking about sun screen, and who knows what that is made of? I use a sunscreen that is vegan… but I’m getting a bit off topic here. Still I have to say I totally agree with everything this article says this man believes. I think he is my newest hero…
One is a disability pensioner. I hope he gets enough money to pay the fine of $1000 per child. I hope the kids still get to learn in freedom.
Way to go, One! Get in touch with me and I’ll put a donation link on this site so people can send you money to help pay that ridculous fine! …that is, if you plan to pay it at all. Here in the states we would probably have the option of doing jail time instead of paying the fine.
I am really concerned about your two daughters, who totally deserve the right to unschool… or learn in freedom. I noticed the article didn’t use the magic word, ‘unschooling’, but that’s what you’re doing. Will they continue as happy, natural learners? Or will the state now force them into compliance with outrageous child-control laws?
I really like the part of the article where One says he is blessed to spend time with his children. The reporter put “blessed” in quotations as if it were a weird thing to say. Indeed, the attitude of many people in the world today is that the only blessing is to get the kids out of the house, corralled in school, so parents can work or goof off all day without any responsibilities toward their offspring’s education and happiness.
Okay, it looks like I’ve touched on one of those topics that I could write-on about all day long, so I’ll cut it off here. I just want to say, “Three Cheers for ONE!!!” and . . . is there anything we can do to help you, sir?
Source article: Father to face court for letting kids miss school by Bethany Hiatt, published July 5, 2009 in The West Australian, at http://thewest.com.au.
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