You could see it in their eyes. You could feel it throughout the room. Excitement, hope, and trepidation welled up inside each member of the audience as the speaker described a new concept of education---one that could be custom-tailored to each child and would protect children from increasing cultural dangers. He called it "home schooling."

This scene could have been a meeting in America 15 years ago. But it was August 2000, Tokyo, Japan. Over 150 parents had gathered from all over the country to hear the reasons, rights, and practical steps of home schooling.

Thirstily drinking in every word of the day-long seminar, these parents left with a new determination to make whatever sacrifice necessary to protect and educate their children. They were risking their reputations, respect of family and friends, perhaps even custody of their children.

This was not a unique experience. I have seen this scene in Japan repeated in many places where I spoke to thousands of parents in other countries near and far: South Africa, Mexico, Switzerland, and Germany and throughout the provinces of Canada. Alarmed by moral decay in their own public school systems, parents in many countries are desperate for hope, more information, and the opportunity to train their own children.

It has become increasingly apparent to me as I travel that home schooling is no longer a United States phenomena. Home schooling is gradually but steadily spreading across the world.

One catalyst for the explosion of home education internationally has been the Internet. As parents in foreign countries discover an amazing array of information about home schooling and its results, they want this opportunity for their own family. Unfortunately, they often find out it is not legal where they live. In fact, it is often very similar to the difficult legal atmosphere in our country only 15 years ago.

Eyeing the obvious freedom of United States home schoolers, they ask, "How did you do it? Tell us how you gained this freedom." A number of these parents have also asked Home School Legal Defense Association for assistance as they seek to gain this freedom in their own countries.

When I started working for HSLDA in 1985, I would have never dreamed that home schoolers in America could help home schooling get legalized in other countries. We were just trying to survive. Yet God blessed us with many victories in the courts and legislatures to bring us to this day when it is legal in all 50 states.

Although the home school movement in many countries is only a fledgling movement, it is beginning to take hold. The first step in many western and Asian countries is to make it legal.

Most important of all is our desire to share the light of Jesus Christ through the vehicle of home schooling. Home schooling enables families to teach what really matters: knowing Jesus as their Savior and obeying Him as Lord. More and more families home schooling on the foundation of the Word of God will bring blessings to the nations around the world.

- Christopher J. Klicka
HSLDA Senior Counsel

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