A.L.E, the Association for Free Education is making days 4 to 7 of this month his VI State Encounter in the Borja de Villalonga Refuge (Gandía). This Association brings together families and individuals who believe that home schooling is a responsible and appropriate option for their children.
Spain is one of the few countries in our environment in which education at home is not included as valid by legislation, and in which families who opt for this form of education also face social misunderstanding and legal problems. However home education It is legal in France, Portugal, United Kingdom, Holland, USA. and in many other places, besides being recognized by international organizations. There are, despite the difficulties, an increasing number of families that carry it forward. Some of them meet in A.L.E. the Association for Free Education.
This educational option finds a huge misunderstanding in the environment, since the idea that the only valid model is to educate children in institutions surrounded by other children of similar ages is widespread in Spain. However, the Constitution in its article 27 recognizes that: "Everyone has the right to education." and adds that there is freedom of education. For this reason, they seek to recognize Home Education within the diversity of responsible educational offerings and to match our legislation to those in the surrounding countries.
They explain, on their website, that "We live in a moment of profound sociological change where the environment has lost its role as a transmitter of values and the school is overwhelmed by the need to offer a training curriculum, and, at the same time, alleviate the lack of trainers of the" hidden curriculum " (education in values, discipline, moral ...), we believe that being the school an area that cannot offer all the guarantees, there is no reason to rule out other educational possibilities.We, fathers, mothers and legal guardians, ultimately responsible for the education of our daughters and sons, we believe in an education that allows us to acquire skills to be responsible citizens in a changing world, capable of managing personal conflicts, understanding the large amount of data and information that are characteristic of our time, but we do not believe that this goal is achieved by all people through the same way Home Education is a valid alternative in a society mature, plural and authentically democratic. "
These movements, more and more extended, start from very interesting positions. Knowing them, whatever our previous opinion or the conclusion we reach, is very enlightening. Of course, the HomeschoolingIt should not be prosecuted and, in my opinion, it would be a sign of social maturity to recognize it as legal as it happens in many other developed countries, in which excellent educational results have been achieved in children educated in this model.
On the page of A.L.E. We can find personal experiences, information on legislation and other topics of great interest. At least, knowing this reality and the motivations of those who adopt it helps us to better understand the world around us and to make our thinking more flexible.
