MINAS GERAIS, BRAZIL, December 23, 2008 (Life Site News) – Cleber and Bernadeth Nunes have been convicted by a second civil court in Brazil for homeschooling their children, despite passing government-imposed tests that teachers admitted they could not pass themselves.
The three judge panel in the court of second instance refused even to examine the test results, which give a passing grade to both of their sons for a series of highly rigorous tests on a variety of subjects, including mathematics, geography, science, history, Portuguese, English, arts, and physical education.
“We cannot even allow the examination here of the quality of education that is being given at home, because homeschooling never can be substituted for regular instruction,” said Moreira Diniz, a member of the panel. The tests were ordered by a criminal judge who is trying the same case in his own court.
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How do they mean convicted? I’m assuming a law was broken, but usually a conviction carries some punishment/consequence. Do we know what, if any, there is?
I’ll ask Cleber to answer this.
There are two charges against us. One civil: not putting our children in school. The other is criminal: intellectual abandonment. The punishment is to lose custody of the kids. The case in on appeal.
Thanks for letting us know Cleber. I have some friends who are considering a move to Brazil and they are ardent homeschoolers.
Is there something we can do to help?
I have a friend in North of Spain ( similar charges), We help them sending letters ( and emails) to the judges and courts.
Waiting for instrucctions.