Worldschooling: when children use the world around them as their textbook

Worldschooling seeks inspiration and educational opportunities from travel experiences. Instead of traditional schooling, adults engage children with the world, where they learn from everyday situations, encounters with people, visits to museums, natural monuments, and other opportunities offered by the destination.

This alternative to conventional schooling states that a child can gain a higher quality education when they experience the world around them and communicate with it directly through their own experiences. It focuses on practical learning, critical thinking, and the development of skills that are difficult to cultivate in a standard school environment.

This concept gradually developed during the 20th and 21st centuries at a time when awareness of alternative ways of education began to grow. Worldschooling thus does not have a specific founder and is merely a natural outcome of the thinking of families who decided to educate their children while traveling.

American writer and advocate of this type of teaching, Eli Gerzon, popularized the term around 2008 on his blogs. Worldschooling later began to spread naturally around the world.

It draws inspiration from similar philosophies such as Montessori and unschooling, which promote practical learning in the real world. All provide children with diverse experiences and perspectives as they follow their natural curiosity.

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Why can worldschooling be better than traditional school?

The essence of worldschooling lies in the fact that children learn directly from life, not just from textbooks. With the help of their parents, they explore local cultures, traditions, history, and nature. Information outside the classroom becomes much more engaging and easier to remember than theoretical learning.

Education is tailored to the specific interests and individual pace of the child. It can focus on topics that truly interest them, rather than strict curricula.

Children learn to adapt to new situations while traveling, solve everyday problems, and be independent. Worldschooling also promotes the development of critical thinking and the ability to cope with unexpected challenges. These are skills that are very difficult to develop in traditional classrooms.

This global perspective helps children also develop empathy and understanding of different cultures and lifestyles. They create a more open view of the world and learn tolerance towards differences. Thanks to worldschooling, children are driven by natural curiosity to learn, which can lead to a deeper and long-lasting understanding of various topics.

Performance pressure, grades, and tests present in traditional schools are eliminated, as worldschooling offers a more relaxed environment. Children are not graded on marks but on practical understanding and experiences.

Despite these advantages, worldschooling is not for everyone. It requires a lot of time and commitment from parents, as the future of the children largely rests in their hands. They may have great practical and social skills, but they may also have gaps in theoretical knowledge if their parents do not consistently supplement it. It is therefore crucial to find a balance between free learning and covering essential academic topics. This way, children can achieve their goals regardless of the path they choose to take.

When parents take responsibility for their children's education

In most cases, parents within worldschooling are the main teachers and guides of their children's education. However, they do not follow the classical teaching model but act as facilitators. They create conditions for learning, encourage curiosity, and seek various opportunities for education. Their role primarily includes:

• organizing and planning educational activities
• selecting appropriate learning materials
• looking for situations where children can learn through real experiences
• supporting curiosity and encouraging children to explore and find solutions to various problems
• seeking experts if children are interested in learning about specific topics
• creating a supportive environment

Countries supporting education on the road

The most open and progressive country in the field of worldschooling and alternative forms of education is Finland. This Nordic state has a very strong educational system and high quality public schools. Despite strict oversight, it offers some flexibility for parents who want to educate their children outside the traditional school environment.

The globally renowned Finnish educational system has a high-quality and extremely innovative approach that is often considered one of the best in the world. And this is despite the fact that it significantly differs from many traditional models.

It emphasizes equality, flexibility and support for child development, which are some points preferred by alternative forms of education.

The Finnish educational system is based on the philosophy that all children have the right to equal educational opportunities, regardless of their social and economic background. It provides free education at all levels, including higher education.

Finns strive to minimize stress and competitive pressure on children, thereby supporting their natural interest in learning and development. This also includes fewer tests and exams. Teachers (with master's degrees and thorough training) are given great freedom in how to adapt teaching and curricula to the needs of students and push for an individual approach.

Students learn to think critically and solve problems, not just memorize facts. Finland understands informal and experiential education as a full-fledged part, thus opening space for worldschooling approaches.

Despite the unchallenging approach to education, Finnish children are considered some of the most educated in the world (according to PISA tests). Well-prepared for real life, as they become creative, critically thinking and emotionally balanced individuals.

Other countries with a liberal approach to education that allow adaptation to children's needs include The Netherlands, Australia, the USA, New Zealand and Canada. However, there are also those that strictly prohibit worldschooling.

Worldschooling as an illegal form of education

Even though we live in a modern world, there are countries where homeschooling is subject to prohibition.

Strict rules for German children

Germans strictly control compulsory school attendance. Homeschooling has been illegal since 1919. All children must attend accredited schools with very rare exceptions in extremely specific cases.

However, some alternative schools have managed to gain support and advocate for greater freedom in education. Nevertheless, families often move to other countries in Europe where the rules are more flexible. Because those who choose to violate homeschooling laws in Germany face fines, legal action, or even removal of children.

A stark contrast in Scandinavian countries

Very strict rules for homeschooling children surprisingly apply in Sweden. Even though, like Finland, it emphasizes equality and shares similar cultural values, in most cases worldschooling is prohibited.

Parents can teach their children outside of school only in exceptional situations. And even those must first be approved by the authorities. It mandates parents to ensure that children immediately attend accredited schools, otherwise they face high fines and legal issues.

Thus, while Finland and Sweden are geographically close, their approaches to education have significantly different rules. Finland's free model considers families as partners in education, while Sweden views education as exclusively a public matter. This is due to strong state control and centralization.

Families that prefer worldschooling often choose Finland as a better alternative. This contrast well illustrates how different values can shape educational systems even in such close nations.

Worldschooling opportunities in Slovakia

When it comes to worldschooling, Slovakia is relatively well off compared to other countries. Most European states directly prohibit or overly restrict these forms of education.

For parents eager to educate their children differently than in traditional schools, the Slovak education system offers certain options. But also relatively clear rules and obligations that must be followed. And this despite the fact that worldschooling as a concept is not directly mentioned in our legislation.

Slovakia allows homeschooling for all children from 1st to 9th grade of primary school, which is a good foundation for developing certain skills outside the classroom. Parents must ensure adequate teaching, which is crucial for the child's development.

Homeschooling rules for Slovak children and their parents

As a parent, you can largely decide on the methodology, and this without the need for special pedagogical education. Because it is assumed that you know best which curricula best meet the needs of your children. This gives you space for experiential learning, travel, and practical activities, which are the foundations of worldschooling.

However, there are restrictions that must be followed. Each child must be registered by the parent in a base school, which will monitor their educational progress and provide administrative support. Before enrollment, consider institutions open to communication and collaboration regarding alternative forms of education. Parents must also submit a document with a detailed educational plan. This will determine when each point will be taught. The plan must comply with national educational standards and subjects taught in regular schools.

Children educated through travel must take exams at the base school at the end of each semester. Therefore, it is essential to create a plan that considers a successful return to Slovakia and is not restrictive for worldschooling families. Regular reports on the child's educational progress are necessary. They include various assessments and suggestions for further development.

Slovaks can thus implement worldschooling relatively without major legal issues if parents adhere to the homeschooling rules. Our country offers a flexible foundation. But be prepared for a bureaucratic burden related to applications and coordination with authorities regarding schools.

Conclusion

Do you have enough courage to educate your children through worldschooling?

Learning on the road should not be based on parents' desire to explore the world, but on a genuine interest in their offspring. Well-targeted worldschooling will create stronger family bonds, shared memories, but most importantly will shape a personality ready for the real world.

Children who have undergone quality education outside the classroom often excel in areas where creativity, flexibility and interpersonal relationships are needed. Balanced worldschooling opens many more opportunities in life.