| Though many parents have opted to home | | | | order, which her parents sought to have |
| school their children for religious reasons over the | | | | overturned. Unfortunately for Hubert and Gudrun |
| years, the alternative to traditional public schools | | | | Busekros, the appellate judge ordered them to |
| gained momentum after the Columbine High | | | | undergo state-sponsored psychiatric testing. |
| School shootings in Colorado. Each year, the | | | | Advocates for the family fear the tests will be |
| number of children being removed from public | | | | used to remove the parents' other five children |
| schools and schooled at home increases. Public | | | | from the home. |
| schools across the nation have finally recognized | | | | Now, a second German family is under attack for |
| that the trend is here to stay. Many recognize | | | | home schooling. A Saxony court has given Youth |
| that the alternative can be supplemented through | | | | Welfare the right to remove five children from |
| the public schools, giving students a more rounded | | | | the Brause home at their convenience with or |
| education. Thus, many school districts now offer | | | | without notice to the family. Though the Youth |
| several home schooling alternatives. This is not | | | | Welfare office has not taken action to date, Bert |
| the case in some other countries. | | | | and Kathrin Brause fear it may happen at any |
| During Adolf Hitler's reign in Germany, he created | | | | time. |
| the Ministry of Education, one of his first moves | | | | According to a CBN report, the parents can regain |
| to control the minds of the youth, Germany's | | | | custody only by placing them in the public schools. |
| future in his estimation. The ministry controlled all | | | | They also must pay an estimated $4,000 in court |
| public schools and school-related issues. One of | | | | costs. The judge presiding over the case stated |
| their first actions was to decree that all children | | | | that the children were obviously well educated; |
| must attend public schools, essentially banning all | | | | however, the parents had failed to provide their |
| home schooling and private schools. That ban still | | | | children with the opportunity to develop |
| exists today. | | | | independent personalities. The latter was based on |
| Some German families continue to home school | | | | one daughter's stated opinion that matched the |
| their children for religious reasons, since they feel | | | | opinion expressed by her father; thus, the judge |
| that German public schools offer an anti-Christian | | | | concluded that she was incapable of independent |
| viewpoint. Recently, the Ministry began enforcing | | | | thinking, which he deemed the public schools more |
| the ban on public schools alternatives. | | | | capable of providing. |
| First, Melissa Busekros fell behind in her math and | | | | The Saxony ruling has increased fear throughout |
| Latin classes. Her parents began tutoring her at | | | | Germany among families that home school. Many |
| home to help her catch up. When the public | | | | families have fled to other countries and are in |
| schools found out, they expelled her. They then | | | | hiding, fearing they will be extradited back to |
| took action to remove her from her home, | | | | Germany for prosecution. |
| arriving with 15 police officers and a court order | | | | Though even the United Nations has gotten |
| that stated she was to be removed with force, if | | | | involved, government officials say they have a |
| necessary. | | | | legitimate interest in countering the rise of parallel |
| The 15 year old was first taken to a psychiatric | | | | societies that are based on religion or motivated |
| hospital in Nuremberg to remedy her "public | | | | by different world views. And here, I thought we |
| schools phobia". Then, she was placed in a foster | | | | defeated Adolf Hitler and his narrow views during |
| home. The appellate court upheld the removal | | | | World War II. |