HSLDA and more than 100 homeschoolers from all over Europe gathered to encourage one another and discuss how they could work together for greater homeschooling freedom in Europe. Hailing from a score of countries and cultures and speaking many different languages, these homeschoolers nevertheless shared a strong goal to teach their children at home. Gathering in D’Ador, on the southern coast of Spain for a five-day conference in fall 2011, leaders and homeschooling families had a meaningful time.

Daragh McInerney, president of the Spanish homeschool association ALE and organizer of the conference, explains, “We hoped to provide a meeting place to share experiences and further our mutual knowledge of the home education scene in the various European countries. We’ve captured the presentations of many of homeschool leaders and have made these available with translations for all to enjoy.”

Speakers from countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Sweden and Italy spoke about the common bonds and challenges homeschoolers share regardless of country or culture. Similar reasons for homeschooling included dissatisfaction with local schools, bullying or other peer issues, and the idea that families can better prepare children for the real world. Similar challenges shared by leaders included societal concerns about teacher training, academic performance and socialization. Many families spoke about the isolation they experience in countries where the homeschooling population is small, making a gathering like the Spain conference especially important.

“This conference was the single-largest gathering of Spanish homeschoolers to date,” notes Michael Donnelly, director of international relations at HSLDA. “It was also a great opportunity for European homeschoolers to spend time together for encouragement and to strategize. I am glad I could show support for our beleaguered brethren by representing HSLDA’s tens of thousands of members who care deeply about the serious challenges that homeschoolers around the world face—challenges we’ve had to overcome here in decades past.”

Click on the links below to listen to Mike Donnelly’s speech to European homeschoolers and presentations from nearly a dozen other international leaders sharing the story of homeschooling in their countries. To support HSLDA’s work in fighting for freedom for persecuted homeschoolers overseas consider a donation to the International Fund of the Homeschool Foundation!

Speeches by Donnelly and others can be found on Youtube.com or use the video links below.

From http://www.hslda.org/hs/international/Spain/201201020.asp

Video Presentations

Bulgarian Homeschooling
• Peter Porumbachanov of the Bulgarian Homeschool Association discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Bulgaria at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

French Homeschooling
• Agnès Ohlenbusch of Les Enfants d’Abord discusses the situation for homeschoolers in France at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

German Homeschooling
• Homeschool moms Karen Kern, Silke Ohlert, and Kelley Schwab discuss the situation for homeschoolers in Germany at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Italian Homeschooling
• Erika Di Martino of Controscuola.it discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Italy at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Dutch Homeschooling
• Peter Van Zuidam of Nederlandse Vereniging voor Thuisonderwijs discusses the situation for homeschoolers in the Netherlands at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Polish Homeschooling
• Mariusz Dzieciatko of Stowarzyszenie Edukacji w Rodzinie discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Poland at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Portuguese Homeschooling
• Homeschool mom Claudia Sousa discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Portugal at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Spanish Homeschooling
• Daragh McInerney of the Asociación por la Libre Educación discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Spain at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.

Swedish Homeschooling
• Jonas Himmelstrand of Rohus discusses the situation for homeschoolers in Sweden at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011 (video begins after 09:15).

British Homeschooling
• Shena Deuchars of Education Otherwise discusses the situation for homeschoolers in the United Kingdom at a conference in D’Ador, Spain in September 2011.