Barriers to SDE in Germany

A call to action in the SDE Community

ASDE has a direct interest in making Self-Directed Education possible for any and all people- we are also mindful of the ways governments around the world are creating barriers to this pursuit, and even taking legal action on their citizens who do no ascribe to the dominant educational path of said country, for their children.

Please find a message here from Daniel Karrasch, who is now working on the beginnings of his own Self-Directed Education community founding phase, and bravely taking on the German state. There was an opportunity to just have paid the fines and given in, but he is willing to take on the challenge of pushing back for change, to set precedent that would indeed help us all.

Please note that the older girl convicted for failing to attend school had already passed her national exams with a good result and is now volunteering in an 'eco year' where she participates in sustainable agriculture and helps with the outdoor creche - yet the judge found her guilty.

Dear friends, acquaintances and supporters of self-determined education,

I turn to you today to ask you for your (financial) support. We are a family with two daughters who have been freely forming for more than 4 years, so they do not attend school especially at their own request. Our daughters follow their interests and develop relevant abilities and a strong sense of self-determination and personal responsibility. We parents do our best support them in this.

In this way we have made our acquaintance with all the fate and well-being of our daughters oh so “interested” authorities: school management, school authority, youth ceasedy and district court. I have publicly reported about our court experiences in my blog (https://danielkarrasch.substack.com/, “Blinder Obedience” and “International Children’s Rights Day”).

We have currently made legal complaints against convictions of both our older, criminal daughter and myself as a parent. We had financed ourselves before attorneys' fees, but our reserves are now exhausted. In order to cover the current legal fees, we ask you to make a donation and forwarding this appeal for donations.

Thank you for your attention and support

Daniel Karrasch & family

One desired side-effect of such donation projects is creating/increasing public awareness. Even within Germany, people may not be aware of the fact that families are prosecuted (by police and courts) and financially threatened, let alone outside of Germany. Please consider sharing with all of your networks, may we get behind this family and push this all the way up to get the precedent we all need to have happen!

In solidarity,

— ASDE Team