Educating kids while travelling

[UnintentionallyMe]

Thinking of selling up and travelling - not sure where or how yet, but have wanted to do this for so long and certain events (death of a friend, possible cancer diagnosis in family) have made me realise life is short and to not put off dreams.

We have 2 DDs, one going into P4 and one starting S1. Obviously their education is a priority for us.
Both my DH and I went to school 'as normal ' and other than lockdown homeschooling (which we were rubbish at!) have no experience of alternative methods of education.

Any ideas what options there would be, pros and cons, and what the end goal should be (eg we're in Scotland so it's highers at the end of high school).

We want them to experience and learn so much by travelling, but not at the expense of their future career opportunities.

Thank you.

Post covid there are lots of online live tutors who can offer various content. As well as resources like the Oak Academy lessons online. If you want to follow a UK type curriculum, rather than other approaches to learning of course.

OP, I am a teacher and I think what you are doing is amazing. Your children will gain so much from travelling - an education that they will never get in the classroom. I think the UK viewpoint on not missing school is so limiting.

I do not know much about remote learning but I would reccomend getting a maths book for their ages and then besides that, get them reading. Go to the library wherever you are and ensure they read books and more books. They will be fine going back into formal education. Apart from maths and literacy, they will catch up easily! Enjoy every experience!!

Hope you find something that suits your plans, OP. And very sorry about your friend.

@rhino12345 yes please 🙂

@RoseslnTheHospital I think we'd be best trying to stick to the UK curriculum, partly for if/when we return, and also it's all we know.

@Lydia777 thank you so much! This is so reassuring to hear, especially from a teacher!
Luckily they're both bookworms anyway, and quick, enthusiastic learners.

@MindPalace thank you 🙂 Life can be cruel sometimes.

Do it! I home-schooled my DC for two terms (Y8). Paid for online remote schooling. We did some limited travelling during this time. I used Net School.

Google remote schoolingthere are loads of schools out there. Just factor in the time difference with the lessons. We stayed in Europe so wasn't an time change wasn't an issue. Obviously being in Asia when lessons are at 10am UK time will be an issue for you. Recorded lessons or some type of other guided learning may be more appropriatedo your research.

Made no negative emotional impact on my DD at all. Brought us very close together and she saw different places and sites. Broadened her worldview a bit.

*Sorry about the cross out lines!

Have a look at inter high and other similar online schools.

If finances allow you can outsource some education - even if you just do maths and English.

Other than that the life experience will be educational. They can learn to cook, speak foreign languages, learn about different cultures and religions.

I would imagine it'll add to their lives rather than take away.

If you were in the US you could buy a home schooling program. I wouldn't let not being enrolled in a particular school interfere with their education! I know you said you didn't do well during lockdown but that was unplanned. You can do this!

Sounds like a great adventure. I wouldn't worry too much about your eldest, as the BGE in S1-3 has very low expectations so as long as you do some Maths and English you won't miss much. The online schools mentioned all follow the English curriculum which is very different from the Scottish one, so be aware of that. Only thing to watch out for is that you really need to be back after Xmas in S3 as they choose their options for Nat 5s then.

@LaughingLemur thanks, that's really useful to know re chosing options for nat 5s. I wish there was a one stop shop to find all these useful tips (aside from Mumsnet!!) 😁

Past age 6 or 7 I wouldn't. It reminds me of a story I read recently; not saying they always end like this, but you should really think I through. There are many opportunities for your children to broaden their horizons without missing 2 years of school and friendships - gap year, work experience abroad, hosting international students at your house, even learning a new language and having pen pal in another country... https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/mar/25/suzanne-heywood-round-the-world-sailing-trip-stolen-childhood

Excuse the Australian bias https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/holidays-with-children-during-school-term/102701428

I don't have any advice on the tutoring, but just wanted to say I think this is a wonderful plan! Your kids will gain so much from the experience - confidence, adaptability, resilience, broader minds, ability to engage with all sorts of people, new languages (even if they forget it, it's the ability and confidence to learn language that is the skill), quality time with you, life-long memories.
I have traveled extensively and met travelling families along the way, it's easier to do it than you probably think now.

I'm not for or against this. But there are more practicalities to think of regarding this.

An example is the idea of going to the library. Even buying books, tbh. Unless you're planning on only going to English (native) speaking countries, libraries aren't full of English books. In one country I lived in there basically were no libraries too! In another country there were plenty, but only one with English books and it was a private library. Where I live now in order to register for the library you need to have a permanent address and a document that in order to get you need to have a local social security number.

You can always order from Amazon or the Book Depository (takes longer, but shipping included). Or kindles.

You cannot assume that you can rely on local services in the way you do at home.

There are undoubtedly many positive experiences you'll all have from this, but I think you need to look into the detail a lot more.

And what are you planning on doing with your house, assuming you own? You mention not wanting to return here. But if you do (you said "maybe not" which has a "maybe we will" side) will you be able to move back into your home, or will you be looking to buy or get back into the rental market - and if you're looking to buy, you might have to also first rent.

I have friends who have left their home country - not only U.K. - sold up because they definitely weren't returning..and then they returned and were priced out of the market at the level they'd previously been in. This has quite big ramifications for their return.

Obviously rental now is also very difficult in some areas.

Also check out health insurance. Technically if you return to the U.K. after living abroad, then the first 6 months you're not covered by the NHS. People ignore it, but the rule is there and anything can happen in the political arena in two years, especially when there's a GE in that time.

Yes, I think you want to post on worldschooling forums rather than here. Be sure to find other parents who are familiar with the Scottish educational system if you are likely to return there, so you can time your return properly and the kids are prepared for exams. If there aren't enough other Scottish parents on worldschooling forums, then general home ed forums will do for that aspect. Most forums are on Facebook these days. Mumsnet does have a home ed forum but the traffic here is quite low, and also we get a lot of people wandering through who know nothing about home ed still give advice based on their speculations!

I've never travelled with kids but I do home educate and see many people who are off having great experiences! It sounds like you are well aware that your plans may need to change if your kids eventually hanker for more stability, which is one of the issues that can throw a spanner in the works.

Assuming you are leaving the UK, I'd sign up to an online maths and science curriculums as I think they are the hardest to catch up if you don't have the basics.

I'd have both children keep journals, on paper and online so if they draw a picture you might photograph it and upload it but they need to keep up with handwriting.

The reason I say journal is that they will be learning history and geography of the places you travel to and through.

Travel is an education in itself, not a conventional school experience but more of an adventure.

You don't sound like you know what you want at all. And that will just end up in chaos for the kids.

You can't just rock up to "Europe" a "do van life" whilst online schooling and also having a home to come back to when you realise it's not all it's cracked up to be (because you sold it and blew the cash on van life).

Where have you travelled before as a family? What experience do you have? What does "we want to travel" mean? How will you earn money?

Join the home education U.K. exams & alternatives Facebook group for advice. Ask the question there.

Wolsey hall and kings inter high are two online schools - traditional set up at a cost. You may need more flexibility and affordability? There are lots of different professional online educational provisions these days. In your shoes I’d do silence, maths, English online, then build a scrap book about each location visited, it’s history, it’s famous people, it’s industry, it’s wildlife and countryside, learn the language through duolingo, have a go at tasting and making the national foods.

Also slipping back into uk state education is easy in my experience (friends children now in uni and in various professions). In schools there is a lot of time wasted not learning anything and when learning happens it mostly takes place sat at a desk. I’m pretty sure traveling will create an inspiring and engaging learning environment

It sounds like shock/grief from your friend's death has hit you hard. Just be careful that it isn't causing you to see things through a distorted lens.

Have you tried traveling on a limited budget for extended periods of time before? It can be really hard work. Are you part of groups where you can ask people questions about practical stuff like tax, work, what to do with your property and so on?

It's the summer holidays now, so this is a good time for you to "practice" homeschooling and see if you can make it work. It tends to work best with kids who are self-starters and are happy to read a lot off their own bat.

Maths and the hard sciences tend to be the ones where they really do need specialized teaching, especially at older ages. I'd want a child to be seeing a professional maths tutor online at least once a week and doing work set by them in between - actual solid blocks of exercise book work, not just "Oh, we do a bit of baking together and I let them pay for things in shops, that's basically maths, isn't it?"

I’m not sold you have a sensible plan here. Kids are a bit old for “learn on the road from life” if you then want them to fit back in to formal schooling easily. And “make friends in the places you stay” sounds super unrealistic especially for your older child who should be beginning to form real friendships.

I agree with the person above who recommended reading Wavewalker.

maybe consider a long road trip over summer hols?

I agree that the sad loss might be swaying you here. No, you never know what's round the corner but the huge likelihood is that you both won't suffer untimely deaths and will need a roof over your heads for another 40/50/60 years.

The kids making friends in the places you go won't happen either. Those children won't be on holiday, they'll be living their lives with peers who speak their language and have shared bonds and experiences.

You really should try a long road trip over the holidays first or wait until they finish school and build a pot to really take a year out together. Spending the next few years planning where to go, trying out cities and countries and different ways of travelling. Look at it as "life is for living" as opposed to "life is short"

I have no idea if this will work out well for you, I don't know you. But I do know that for lots of people the idea that actually, yes, you can opt out of school and not just do what everyone else does is something they're not capable of taking seriously. And yet thousands of people do it every year. Thousands of kids are home educated, most of them happily and with excellent outcomes. Yes, it doesn't always work out well, occasionally parents don't do this well, but then thousands of kids leave school with no qualifications and/or serious mental health problems from the stress of it all, and they aren't suggesting we abolish schools...
I would join some home ed and worldschooling Facebook groups just to see the other side, that lots of people do do this.
Hope it all works out, whatever you decide.