Victoire!

My daughter and I received our fair share of "reactions etranges" last year when we were in France. Not to our appearance, of course (at least I hope not!), but to the fact that she was homeschooled. Our friends there had warned us that homeschooling was frowned upon, even regarded as something that one might do if in some sort of cult. So, I wasn't surprised or insulted in the least. The reactions (from the other moms outside the school where we were waiting for our friends' children) were typical and expected. Besides, homeschooling is what afforded us the opportunity to be standing there having that particular conversation in the middle of the school year. My daughter even had the fun of spending a day in an international school while we were there (so now I can officially say she's "been to school!") After praying our friends through a two-year stint in French public schools and seeing the harshness first-hand, it's hard for me to read of a bill clamping down on the rights of French homeschoolers and agree at all with its title of "Protection de L'Enfance" ("Protection of the Children").

Well, it seems France has made some headway toward homeschooling becoming more accepted, with the help of the HSLDA. Some may call it the "H$LDA" if they want, but none of us should take for granted the work they (and others) have done on behalf of homeschoolers in every state, and now in other countries.

You can read the HSLDA E-lert that went out last week here, and the report of the victory here. This is an interesting article about the victory in France and a short summary of the recent flap about homeschooling in Germany as well.

Today, as I have a "teacher work day" in our school room, I am feeling especially thankful our freedom to school our children at home, and praying for the rights of those in other countries to do so as well.