What follows below is a copy of a petition sent by THEN to the Queen:

29 September 1993

Her Majesty the Queen
Windsor Castle
London
United Kingdom


Dear Elizabeth,

THEN, the Third Home Education Network, hereby submits this petition regarding homeschooling. In Australia, the Queensland Government refuses to accept homeschooling in the sense of parents educating their own children. The law only allows this when done by a qualified teacher, fully registered as such in Queensland, and only when complying with the conditions for dispensation from compulsory school attendance, as supervised by the Home Schooling State Committee.

In a growing number of places around the world, homeschooling is now well accepted. In the U.S. as well as the U.K., prohgibition of homeschooling has been found to be in violation of the Constitution, c.q. the associated civil rights. As both Australia and the U.K. have Queen Elizabeth II as head of State, one wonders how such discrepancies can occur. On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II pronounced the Oath of Coronation, promising to protect the people's rights as defined in Magna Carta and the 1688 Bill of Rights. As Australian Law is basically derived from British law, including respect for Magna Carte and the 1688 Bill of Rights, the question is if the Queen has sufficiently protected the Queensland people's rights as promised in this Oath.

Therefore, THEN sends this petition to the Queen, as a reminder of these promises and suggesting the Queen use the reserve powers available under the Australian Constitution to block any legislation proposed by the Australian Federal Parliament, until such time as the Queensland Government stops harassing Queensland residents who elect to educate their own children.

Of course, THEN will be equally happy with other remedies the Queen sees fit to apply and trusts this communication itself to be part of such remedies. Therefore, it is of great importance that receipt of this petition is acknowledged and that feedback is given about subsequent action.

Sincerely,

Edwin Thor
Spokesperson,
The Third Home Education Network
[ copy of letter published in the THEN newsletter, 29 September 1993 ]

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