Homeschoolers oppose compulsory schooling in Germany. They say that school is torture for their own children and many others. Instead, children should acquire knowledge independently, according to their interests and desires. With this behavior, however, they violate the German constitution. This stipulates that every child has a right to schooling and must attend school for nine to ten years from the age of six, which is the so-called full-time compulsory schooling. This may be followed by compulsory vocational schooling. Exemption from compulsory schooling is only granted in exceptional cases, such as a child having a severe disability that makes it impossible for them to attend school. Reporter David Donschen visits a mother who lets her children learn on their own. Stefanie's daughter Lomi should actually be in the 2nd grade by now. However, she was only in primary school for a few days, then she didn't want to go any more and now learns at home: when and what she wants. Lomi and her five-year-old brother Mel are free to decide how they organize their day: when they get up, how long they sit in front of the computer, what they do. The Reichert family has also had experience with free learning. Their daughter Amy only went to school until the fifth grade. Despite this, she graduated from high school and is now studying. How useful is free learning? Does it perhaps offer more opportunities than the traditional school system? ---------------------------------- Reporter: David Donschen Editing: Ma Raab Camera: Henrike Böttcher, Ilhan Coskun CvD: Lea Semen --------------------------------- More information on the topic: Freilerner Solidargemeinschaft eV: https://www.freilerner-solidargemeins... Freilerner Kompass: https://www.freilerner-kompass.de/ DER SPIEGEL: Freilerner - Life without school: • Freilerner - Life without school (SPIEG... Deutschlandfunk: Life without school: https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/freile... ZEIT Magazin: Forever free from school: https://www.zeit.de/zeit-magazin/lebe... Deutsche Welle: Homeschooling and free learning: parents against compulsory schooling: https://www.dw.com/de/homeschooling-u... Stuttgarter Zeitung: Always free from school: https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/in... Articles of the Basic Law that relate to compulsory schooling: Article 2: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg... Article 3: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg... Article 7: https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/gg... -------------------------------- Music from the report: Alex Gopher – Back to Basics // Clap! Clap! – Moving On feat. Martha Da'ro // Erykah Badu – The Healer // Jamie XX – Sleep Sound -------------------------------- We are the Y-Kollektiv! - a network of young journalists. In our web reports we show the world as we experience it. We make research transparent. ► You can SUBSCRIBE to us here: https://goo.gl/8yBDdh ► INSTAGRAM: / y_kollektiv ► FACEBOOK: / ykollektiv ► TWITTER: / y_kollektiv -------------------------------- ► #ykollektiv belongs to #funk: YouTube: / funkofficial funk web app: http://go.funk.net Facebook: / funk funk netiquette: https://www.funk.net/netiquette ► A production of sendefähig GmbH