Until June of 2010, homeschooling was legal in Sweden, albeit within some onerous regulations. But with the passage of a comprehensive revision of the education system, the right of parents to direct the education of their own children has been virtually abolished, in apparent violation of the European Convention on Human Rights, Protocol 1, Article 2:
No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religions and philosophical convictions.
If you want to become depressed learn more, there are many stories, often heart-wrenching, at the Home School Legal Defense Association site. (I may have some quarrels with the HSLDA's approach, left over from the early days of homeschooling, but that doesn't negate their importance as a source of homeschooling advocacy and information.)
As part of an effort to raise awareness of their plight, Swedish homeschoolers are staging a Walk to Freedom from Askö, Sweden to the Finnish island of Åland, to which many Swedish homeschooling refugee families have fled. (No, they're not walking on water, but plan to secure the help of a ferry for the last leg.) Their adventure begins tomorrow.
Oops. Here's the link to the video, for those whose feedreaders don't pick it up.
