Homeschool Numbers in France Have Been Cut in Half – We Are Fighting for Parental Rights

American parents are rightly concerned about the state of public education in the United States. Sadly, the grass isn’t greener on the other side of the Atlantic, and the European Centre for Law and Justice (ECLJ), the ACLJ’s international affiliate, is taking action to protect parental rights.

It would take too long to list all the problems with the education system in Europe – especially in France. Chief among the issues are the quality of instruction and the stripping of parental rights to educate children according to a parent’s beliefs. As school violence is rising and disgraceful sex education is enforced, the French National Education system continues its campaign of undermining parents who take the initiative to provide a better education for their children.

It’s a three-pronged attack:

• Recurring attacks on private education.
• Opposition to fully private schools.
• The calculated destruction of homeschooling.

Homeschooling was strongly on the rise in France until the COVID pandemic hit. Emmanuel Macron decided to forbid it, claiming that it was a “nest” for the rise of radical Islam. This was an accusation unsubstantiated by any fact, but the majority of his representatives nevertheless adopted a twisted law, maintaining the right to homeschool while multiplying the obstacles to obtaining the authorization.

Take action with the ACLJ. Sign the petition: Defeat the Homeschool Crackdown – Protect Parental Rights.

Since the adoption of this “anti-separatism law” in 2021, the right of parents to homeschool their children has been drastically curtailed. In just a few years, the number of homeschooled students has been cut in half – from more than 60,000 in 2021 to fewer than 30,000 today. And government officials are signaling that even more families could be denied this fundamental freedom in the coming school year.

Renée and Timothy D., a Franco-American couple, sought to homeschool their children for legitimate and lawful reasons. They wanted to strengthen their children’s bilingual education, accommodate one child’s demanding conservatory schedule, and better care for another child with health challenges. Under the law itself, these are precisely the kinds of circumstances that should qualify a family for homeschooling.

But like so many parents across France, their request was denied.

They tried in vain to explain to the Ministry of Education that their request was made in the best interests of their children and their family, yet the Ministry didn’t care. Both lower courts upheld that denial – effectively siding with the government over parents.

That’s why the ECLJ is taking legal action to assist this family before the Council of State (the Conseil d'État). We are taking this fight to France’s highest administrative court to defend this family and push back against an increasingly restrictive system that is stripping parents of their rights.

It is unacceptable that those who wish to fully assume this responsibility are labeled as “separatists” and have their rights trampled upon. It is unacceptable that government officials decide, rather than parents, what is in the best interest of the children. It is unacceptable to force parents to entrust their children to institutions that are all too often failing and that are more invested in implementing a woke agenda than in the study of mathematics and grammar.

We know the legal battle before the Conseil d'État will not be easy. But we now have clear evidence that the Ministry of Education is working to dismantle homeschooling – contrary to what the law intended. The system is inconsistent and discriminatory: Identical applications are approved in some regions and denied in others.

If we do not stand with this family, no one will. This appeal requires mandatory legal representation and requires thousands of dollars – a burden too great for most families to bear alone. That’s why the ECLJ is stepping in – and why your support through the ACLJ makes this fight possible.

Take action with the ACLJ. Sign the petition: Defeat the Homeschool Crackdown – Protect Parental Rights.