GENEVA, Switzerland, September 18, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) -- Switzerland’s top court ruled that parents do not have a right to homeschool their children.
On Monday, the Swiss Federal Court ruled against a mother from the
city of Basel who in 2017 had applied for permission to school her
8-year-old son at home. School authorities rejected the application and a
cantonal court threw out the mother’s appeal.
When she brought her case to the Federal Court, the mother held that
the appeal court’s decision was tantamount to a ban on private
instruction at home, thus violating a constitutional right to privacy
and family life.
The high court, however, rejected the mother’s argument, ruling
that the constitutional right to a private life does not also apply to
homeschooling. The court noted that no international treaty grants a
right to homeschooling.
In addition, the Federal Court ruled that Switzerland’s cantons may
decide whether to authorize homeschooling or to ban it outright. In
Basel, homeschooling is allowed if applicants can show that the child’s
attendance at school is impossible. The Federal Court had ruled earlier
that national law does not explicitly grant a right to private
instruction at home. Nevertheless, it ruled that cantons may decide how
they comply with federal requirements for basic education.
