Homeschooling in America and in Europe

The right of parents to choose the kind of education their children receive is guaranteed by a number of international human rights conventions. However, the scope of these rights is disputed. One of the most controversial areas is that of homeschooling: the right of the parent to carry out a child’s education under his or her own supervision. This right exists in France, the United Kingdom, every American jurisdiction, and most English speaking countries, but is not recognized (except under very limited circumstances) in Germany and in Sweden. In this book, specialists in American, German, and European human rights law examine the questions underlying the philosophical and legal justification (or non-justification) of homeschooling in modern society. Photo: The three contributors of this book (from left) Dr Mike Donelly, Prof Dr John Warwick Montgomery, Prof Dr Thomas Schirrmacher at the XXV World Congress of Philosophy of Law and Social Philosophy 2011 at Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany