Europe says "no" to home schooling

What a crying shame. Statism at its worst. Reported by the Family Research Council:

Government School Indoctrination Declared European "Human Right"

The European Court of Human Rights recently upheld a German government decision to bar Christian parents from homeschooling their children. Although European countries have differing policies toward homeschoolers, Germany forbids parents to practice it for religious reasons. After losing in the German courts, Fritz and Marianna Konrad appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. Despite explicit language in international law declaring that "the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure...education and teaching in conformity with their own religious and philosophical convictions," the court ruled, ironically, that "pluralism" required the government "to avoid the emergence of parallel societies based on separate philosophical convictions." Apparently only a monolithic, state-run "pluralism" is allowed. This incident shows why many Americans worry about judges in this country citing foreign and international law in their decisions, rather than relying on our own laws and Constitution, to which they have sworn their loyalty. Retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor yesterday warned in a Wall Street Journal op-ed against harsh criticism of judges—for relying on international law and for other forms of judicial activism—as a "threat to judicial independence." The case of Konrad v. Germany is an illustration of why we—not judges—should fear for our independence.