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International Homeschooling
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I’d like to hear from other families who are homeschooling outside their home country and discuss challenges unique to us–learning a foreign language by immersion, cultural differences, finding community, etc. We are in Israel for a few years (one more) of study and our four children are doing a combination of homeschooling and schooling (the latter in Hebrew).
Wish I was… My dream is to be living in China and caring for orphans. God’s timing, God’s timing…LOL
Jimmie does, she’s back in the states for a couple months. (Sorry, don’t mean to talk about you like you’re not here!) Here’s her blog–http://jimmiescollage.com/ (which I LOVE to follow!)
Shalom orolam,
We are also in Israel (Jerusalem). We have been here for 10 years and our 3 children were born here. We have homeschooled from the beginning and have had a few “challenges” along the way.
Learning Hebrew has not been as easy as I thought it might be for the children. They have heard it from birth but we mix in a mostly English speaking community, so they have little opportunity to practice. Only my husband has had formal Hebrew studies at University and he is fluent. I know enough to be dangerous and stay a lesson or two in front of the children
Another challenge has been finding homeschooling resources. We use the library at the Anglican School but it is small, so I have had to buy many of our books and wait for someone to visit and bring them so we don’t pay the huge shipping & duty costs. This is not always convenient but something we are learning to work around.
There is now a Co-Op for English speakers (Gentiles and Messianic Jews) homeschooling in Jerusalem. This was started almost 2 years ago. I haven’t been able to attend for the last year but hope to meet up with them again when they start the new school year. The homeschooling community has grown dramatically over the last couple of years but is very transient.
Where are you in Israel? If you are anywhere near Jerusalem, it would be great to meet up sometime.
Blessings,
Michelle
With an eye to the future, I’ve always been curious about how international homeschooling works. What if the country you’re in doesn’t allow homeschooling? Can you still do it because you’re US citizens? Do you have to follow the rules of that country? Who are you accountable to? Do you still have residency in the state you left, even if you don’t own a home there or have an address (since different states have different laws)?
Just a dream for now, but I’ve always wanted to know.
I am not American, so will answer how it is relevant to me and maybe someone else will chime in with an American perspective
Homeschooling is not illegal in Israel, but not very popular amongst Israelis. The Department of Education is not very sympathetic to homeschoolers and you have to prove why you should homeschool rather than attend a public school. So many Israeli families choose not to register (which is illegal). Most foreigners (predominantly Americans) who homeschool are generally only here for a few years to study, work or volunteer.
We have been in Israel for 10 years, so we are now considered Temporary Residents of Australia. We fall in between the gaps because we are no longer accountable to anyone in Australia and as foreigners, we do not have to report to anyone in Israel.
The ministry we “work” for here also runs an International School. Many (most!) people do not understand why we homeschool when we could send our children to the International School. Anyway…. for my own peace of mind that I am on track academically, I have one of the teachers (who is sympathetic to homeschoolers!) oversee what I am teaching and give her opinion regarding the children’s progress. So far very positive. I also like the connection with the school because I can use their library (one of the few libraries here with children’s books in English), and we have the option of joining in with sports and some other extra curricular activities.
So that’s how we do it. It doesn’t really answer your questions from an American perspective, but should give you some insight into International Homeschooling
.Blessings,
Michelle
Hi Michelle, I am so excited to have encountered your post here as I have just moved to Israel and consider to homeschool my girls (4 and 3). Are you still here and where do you live? I see your post is already 7 years old so you must have bigger kids by now but surely you have so much knowledge and experience to pass down. I would LOVE to connect!
Blessings to you!
Julia
Hi Orolam,
I’d love to connect. I live in Israel also and want to homeschool my kids. It would be great to meet other moms and glean from them!
Where do you live?
Blessings
Julia
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