|
|
Related Sponsors
We are United States citizens, but living overseas. What do we need to do in order to homeschool our children in another country?
Home » Home School » Homeschool Laws » We are United States citizens, but living overseas. What do we need to do in order to homeschool our children in another country?Posted by Your Guide on March 15, 2006 5:04 PM
· Civilian Citizens—Information from the Home School Legal Defense Association says, “Many foreign countries have specific laws allowing homeschooling, or have very loose compulsory attendance laws that are satisfied by a homeschool program. HSLDA is working hard to change the laws in the few countries that currently do not allow homeschooling, but even in those countries American citizens have experienced few problems with school officials.”
According to Vanessa Ridley, Senior Legal Assistant for HSLDA, their standard advice for US citizens traveling abroad is,
“you do not have to comply with the educational requirements of the country you are in. Because you are US citizens, and most likely will maintain residency within the States, you are exempted from the local requirements. Simply continue to home school as you are doing in a responsible fashion.
If you are contacted by any educational authorities while you are overseas, simply reply that you are US citizens, that you are in the country for only a temporary period of time, that you homeschool in compliance with state law while you live in the US, and that you wish to maintain continuity in your child's education.
To this date, we have not had an American HSLDA member harassed after they give this explanation. If there is any pressure from the educational authorities, we will assist you with the situation. While we cannot actually litigate for members out of the country, there a number of other political and diplomatic measures we can employ.
Regarding your responsibility here in the US, you do not have to comply with state law when you are out of the state.“
· Military Citizens—According to the National Home Education Network (NHEN), for military families stationed overseas, the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) issued a memorandum addendum on November 6, 2002 which includes: [the] “DoDEA encourages DOD sponsors who wish to home school their dependents to communicate their desire to the local military community commander to determine if there are any command policies or other rules that ensure that home schooling practices meet host nation, state, commonwealth, or territory requirements.” For more information on military families homeschooling overseas, visit the <a href="http://www.nhen.org/nhen/pov/military/faq_military.asp?id=206#faq2">NHEN</a> website.
To find out the homeschooling policies of various countries, visit the <a href="http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/default.asp">HSLDA</a> section on international homeschooling. The countries they have information about currently include Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, South Africa, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Related Articles
- Homeschool Laws Overview
- What do the states require of homeschoolers?
- Direct links for each state:
- We are United States citizens, but living overseas. What do we need to do in order to homeschool our children in another country?
- Is it necessary to be a member of a legal defense association to homeschool?