Swedish Homeschoolers Face Persecution

Homeschool Leader Flees Swedish Persecution

As the government intensifies its persecution of homeschoolers in Sweden, the president of the Swedish Association for Home Education (ROHUS) has finally been forced into exile with his family in neighboring Finland. The battle for human rights and homeschooling in the Scandinavian kingdom, however, is far from over.

The Swedish Parliament passed a draconian law in 2010 purporting to ban homeschooling, all school curriculums except the Swedish government’s, and all alternative education nationwide. Despite a global outcry, the prohibition went into effect last year. Dozens of families were left wondering what fate might await them. But so far, the official persecution campaign has backfired in a stunning way.

After fighting a valiant years-long battle for the right to homeschool in his native land, ROHUS chief Jonas Himmelstrand (above left) — probably the most prominent advocate for homeschooling in Scandinavia — decided it was time to join more than a dozen families that have already fled. The persecution was only getting worse, and there was not much cause for optimism about the immediate future. Keep reading

Facing persecution, Swedish homeschoolers seek American help

Swedish homeschoolers are seeking help from their American counterparts as they face persecution including harassment, fines and separation of families for not sending their children to government-sanctioned schools.

"We ask our fellow home educators to email the Swedish authorities on a mass scale about the situation in Sweden," Jonas Himmelstrand, president of the Swedish Association for Home Education, said.

"We want to let Swedish officials know that their actions have drawn international attention. Please write to the Swedish Embassy in your country on our behalf," Himmelstrand said. Keep reading