life or kids...

I guess it just depends upon what you are speaking about.

Speak the truth about Islam, expect to lose your life.
Speak the truth about a socialist society - expect to lose your kids.

Alexandra & Paul, as fellow homeschoolers who cannot imagine handing our children over to the state that is run by Kofi Annan (in otherwords, by a beaurocrat 1000's levels up the food chain), we salute you.

It is so obvious this is "terrorism" against anyone who speaks the truth - something the state cannot determine. You know you are fighting the good fight. Please don't lose heart.

Don't you think that such laws and the officials who put them into practice really help us to verify where we stand? Besides, it's a golden opportunity to ask ourselves what matters in life and how much we believe in it. I'm a homeschooling parent myself and I see how unfair treatment of my children helps me sharpen my vision concerning their future. I also get more involved in their growth and I see them maturing and understanding the socialist world better. Let's fight and be more positive.

And it is now, after having successfully home schooled 4 children that 'they' have to crack down on this family? Could it be that there is any connection with the existence of this site? And who is finally in charge of those inspectors threatening mr Belien? It is mr Frank Vandenbroucke, the minister of Education. This minister is a left wing socialist, a (former?) Stalinist. Coincidence? Right! This is Stalinist persecution to the core: state people nosing around in your house, trying to pry something out of child that may incriminate you.

Hey, Vandenbroucke, can you get any more disgusting?

I always thought the idea of home schooling somewhat odd. I certainly believe that a parent, if of a mind to do so, wants to undertake the responsibility of painstakingly teaching a child all that is neccesary of a good education; then they should be allowed to self-educate ones children.

I do believe it should be a requirement that home schooled children should have to take the same annual exams as children attending like grades of learning advancement. Or even be allowed to "challenge-test" to a higher grade of advancement.

So, why is there any room for arbitray interpretation by any goverment agency? Either, a child has learned and the parent has schooled or they have not. Test...Find Out. Be done with it.

As to whether a child also learns, from ones parents behavior, unpleasant to goverment, for instance protesting, having individual ideals, holding elected officials to account and insisting that no one is above the law (George!). This is an intrusion on privacy and an attack on the culture of a "Family". Even in it's worst representation, as were a parent to teach hatred and bigotry, I am hard pressed to say a parent does not have a right to impart their sense of the world to one's child, rightly or wrongly.

Now, as to what others may label as truth and wish to enlight upon a child of mine, that requires the greater scrutiny.

I have been in Belgium for a short time, but I am amazed by the lack of accountability in the system. The responses you have had are of no help to you or your children and it appears that you are left to face these repressive forces by yourself. Have the Belgian people(flemish, french, or other) lost any sense of protecting each other? Do they not have any sense of rallying to right unjust wrongs? Are there any governmental or other sources from whom people can demand redress of problems that should be remedied?

The UN is another layer of bureacracy for the state governments to hide behind to enable enforcement of unpopular and repressive measures. You seemingly have few recourses already in Belgium. What is going to happen when the measures implemented get to your doorstep? It is time to recognize the UN as the repressive and indoctrinating organization that it is, and perhaps the unaccountable portions of the government of your country, too.

All my sympathy !

Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.  Can we bombard an agency with mail?  Contact ambassadors?  Let us know.

Although I may feel sympathy for your will to homeschool your children, I think that your editorial omit to specify that education in Belgium is regulated by local governments, not by the federal government. so the authorities you are dealing with are  FLEMISH authorities.

  Is it  to be politically correct that you denounce "belgian authorities" as the source of your problems? The ministry of education is not belgian anymore but either Flemish or French-speaking or german speaking.

I feel there is a real problem here, because this debate is a Flemish one, not a Belgian one. You are denouncing the wrong level of authority .  You cannot ignore this  very fact. So, would you please correct this factual error?

In addition, after writing my comment, I noticed that the flemish version of your editorial states "Flemish authority" instead of "Belgian authority", which is correct. So I feel unfair that your non-flemish readers are somehow led to believe that the Belgian state is still in charge of the educational system.

I would have no problem signing an oath
“respecting the respect (sic) for the fundamental human rights and the cultural values of the child itself and of others.”
It's often expedient humor the state. And whoever wrote about "the cultural values" of children obviously doesn't know the first thing about children. They are not born with cultural values. It is the parents' responsibility to instill values.

But the other part of the oath is problematic. Who wants to cede any power to a bureaucrat? I wouldn't trust a bureaucrat to fix my plumbing; why would I willingly put bureaucrats in charge of raising my child?

Incredible and outrageous, trying to hurt somebody by attacking his/her family... Of course this has nothing to do with home schooling as such, just an attempt to damage Mr. Belien and his family.

But what can you expect in a 'country' like Belgium. Led by left-wing, politically correct bunch of airheads...only concern they have is protecting their own positions and hitting down hard on any dissident voice

You are living in Rome near the beginning of the end. Move to Byzantium before it's too late. You can't fight a people's collective need for cultural (possibly followed by literal) suicide. You can only get out of the way and make sure you aren't caught up in it.

Still, it's hard to leave the home you love. You have my sympathies and my prayers.

Hang in there, Paul and Alexandra. Fight for you children and fight to keep the "Journal" online. We need you and we need you where you are. I'm an American and homeschoolers are already under attack here. Granted, if you came here, your youngest would be an university graduate before we reach the point that Belgium is at now, but it's coming!

Jovan-Marya Weismiller, T.O.Carm.

Dear Alexandra,

I feel your anger as if was me who was ask to go to jury, that’s the first I would like to say.
But I have to admit that I envy you as you have a education system that allow you to home schooling your children. In Spain is not a=only that kids have right of association, that’s peanuts! They have right to go on strike, meaning that just when some of them get together and decide it, that is enough to be free not to attend lectures.
Moreover, the fact is education is different upon where the children live. In Galicia for instance, we have to educate our children in Galician language no matter if the mother tongue of the pupil is Spanish or Galician and careless what Constitution established about official languages, rights and duties of knowing and using languages. There is no way to educate your children is Spanish, even if you can pay a private school.
The vasques children learn to read using sentences as "Spain invade Vasque Country and treat us like a colony", this is no very important compare with others that state something like "Spanish have to be expulsed, attacked them is what a good vasque must do" or "the war against Spain is during long time" or "Spanish are famous to be lazy and cowards but vasque are known to be brave and hard worker".

Milola and Piru, from Spain.

I've a friend who is undergoing the same treatment by the apparatchiks of the worst side of Belgium, the socialist republic of Wallonia.
He is a medic and his troubles started a long time ago because he refused to have his children examined by the medical center of the school. Since that time, he removed his children from the school and started to homeschool them. If he had the possibilities, he would certainly leave for a better place.

As an American currently living in Belgium and married to a Flemish, it never ceases to amaze me as to what lengths the government in Brussels will go to try and snuff out all opposition to their way of twisted way of thinking. Children belong to the family and NOT to a state-run government.  

Do as we are planning on doing and return to America to live. I have family who were home-schooled and are now excelling in universities there.

Good luck to you both and your children!!!

It appears that the Belgian authorities have decided to run Paul Belien and his family out of the country just as they have Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Right in front of our eyes, we are watching a bit of arm twisting.  Obviously, just threatening Mr Belien personally with prosecution on the racism charge was not enough.  Soooo.......they have done what any thug on the street would do when they need more leverage.  Threaten the man's family.

This is not about home schooling at all.

No doubt, if they do not succeed in this...they will find something else.

Belgium, find your voice.  Protect this man and his family for ultimately you will be protecting yours.

It strikes me how many on the Left wish to model their countries after European ones. What you guys have is not freedom.

It’s one thing to fight the good fight, however, a good commander and planner will always seek to chose the battleground and terrain which gives them the greatest advantage and avoid those environments and engagements which are weighted in favor of the oppositions forces. That the government has quite obviously decided to find some means to ‘shut you down’ don’t kid yourself for a second, not only are you on hostile territory, they’ve also the advantage of far greater resources.

Remember, even if we’re lucky enough to avoid a nuclear nightmare this is still quite likely to be a long and contracted war. One commander free is worth far more than a whole army behind barbed-wire.

Listen! Hear that whirring noise? It's George Orwell revolving in his grave.

Bob Doney

This is really scary. Being (partially) homeschooled myself, I fully support your struggle!

"Three families that we know have had to allow inspectors into their homes"

Your working or teaching at home does not diminish your privacy rights.

You do not have to allow anyone entrance unless they come with a warrant, it doesn't matter if they are TV-inspectors, social inspection or education goons.

"Will it have to be done again"?

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

Paul and Alexandra, you are in our prayers.

Paul Belien, you are a real mensch, and I mean this in the most complimentary way. And Alexandra Colen is equally praiseworthy. You are two who are doing your best for your kids, and what could be better than that?

Do what smart Europeans have done for the past 200 years, move to the USA. Your kids and grandkids will be safe here.

@ A. Colen

I certainly sympathise with your plight, and with your desire to have more say over the education of your children.  But I fear that you are fighting the wrong battle here, and also that you are too pessimistic about the ability of children to 'survive' public schools with their 'critical thinking skills' intact.  

The idea of compulsory 'public' education rests on the belief that, without it, many children would not get a minimum proper education.  I have little doubt that in many cases that idea would turn out to be a correct one, and that many children would not get a proper education outside a compulsory public education system.  Hence the state, and all citizens, have an interest in ensuring that all children get a minimum education. 

At the same time I have no illusions about the ideological nature of the contemporary educational establishment in Belgium, and in many other places as well.  I think that the focus should be on changing the nature of the educational system via political means, with the goal of making it less ideological and more 'neutral' with focus on the 'basics' (the three R's), and to complement (and to some extent counteract) the public educational system in the home.  Surely your children are lucky enough to have the benefit of enterprising and intelligent parents, who would have no difficulty to prick through some of the ideological nonsense they might have heard at school.  It would also give an invaluable 'practical' life lesson to your childeren about the nature of the society in which they live.     

If Belgium has gone this far you need to get out now.  They will be killing Jews within the lifetime of the averatge adult.

Frightening, just abandon your children and nobody will intervene. Transmit the knonwledge you accumululated in a lifetime to your children and you risk going to prison. The almighty state will then take 'care' of your children.

If I understood your story correctly, you both refused to sign a paper that waivered your absolute rights to give your children a good education. Instead, if you don't comply with the rules set out by Big Brother, you're stigmatized as a 'bad parent' and your children get sent to a (ehrm) normal school with all it's bad influences. I think this is really outreageous. Freedom has been limited again by our so-called government, in favor for a cause we absolutely don't believe in.

I wish you both very much strength to fight these prosecutions.